


paths of fate and future

by svncity



Category: Start-Up (Korea TV)
Genre: F/M, ceciverse, do san antis club, i am mad with the ending, jidal clownery, phr really chose violence, team good boy, team ji pyeong, the one percent chance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:22:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 44,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27942200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/svncity/pseuds/svncity
Summary: Four years have passed since Dal-mi decided to stay with Nam Do-san. Many things happened until they decided to end the relationship and perceive different paths in the most amicable way possible. His career took Do-san back to Silicon Valley while Dal-mi joined forces with her sister to finally make their father's business plan come true, and so they embark in a new adventure.After Haelmoni's pacific death, Ji-pyeong decided to vanish from Seo's life, travelling to Europe to expand SH Venture Capital but also to recover from a broken heart. He is doing just fine until fate brings him back home, where all started.He is doing just fine until fate brings back his first love, and it seems that his heart could still take a shot at this.It takes almost a decade to fall in love with him, but how could she not?
Relationships: Han Ji Pyeong/Seo Dal Mi
Comments: 253
Kudos: 660





	1. saying goodbye is never easy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jidalers clowns and warriors](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=jidalers+clowns+and+warriors).



> as a good jidal clown i was expecting way more of this ending, but i think this is the general feeling too. because han jipyeong basically carried the show on his back, i decided to write a little something where he gets the girl, the family, the happiness and everything else. 
> 
> this is written after episode 15, no funky ass marriages and awkward friendships in here. 
> 
> i apologize in advance for spelling and grammar errors, english is my second language, but I wanted to add my two cents to the jidalers group therapy. lets go! 
> 
> ps: the end notes abandoned me so lemme know what you guys thought of it on the comments or hit me up on stan twt (@chancekai)

_This is enough._ Ji-pyeong thought for the fifteenth time since leaving Do-san's house with that forsaken money tree and the ugliest box in the world, containing his best memories and the roots to his first love as well. 

After washing the stench of alcohol and the lingering feeling of failure, Ji-pyeong saw himself as it usually was: alone, in an enormous apartment with a hollow chest and a full mind. 

Han Ji-pyeong was, after all, a good loser. One who conceded when it wasn't his time or space. As always, he accepted and moved on. 

Being an investor required some tough skin and a tremendous amount of adaptability, but more than that, being an orphan made him who he was. Ji-pyeong hated tear-jerking stories, but his biography would quickly be labelled as one.

As a person who spent most of his years having nothing, going through life meant surviving hardships, denials and an infinite series of abandonments. He built himself over this brutally honest and straightforward persona to protect what he had, like a rock-solid shield who suited him just like the expensive suits in the bedroom's closet. 

Taking things lightly and being carefree was a privilege he never had. He never dreamed of having it too. Since Ji-pyeong became too old to be a child in the orphanage, but still too young to be an adult in society, every day felt like life or death. 

His survival mentality was a result of years based on insecurities, anxiety and forged maturity. Being seen as rude, closed and arrogant was a consequence of the choices he did to survive and thrive.

Yes, he sucked in the matters of the heart. Delivering a complement almost cost him a kidney, and being openly friendly could be considered as a declaration of love, but he did what he had to do to get through life.

Not everyone has a safety net to fall into when they failed. Not everyone had supporting parents to praise them on a stage over a cheated result in a competition.

And yet, a little love from an old lady with a failing hot-dog business was enough to crack his shell and show that love is more significant than some certainties. Enough to make him start writing letters to a stranger to bandage her heart a little, and get his own cured in the process.

Staring at the letterbox through humid eyelashes, if from the shower or the late tears, he didn't know, made him realise how far he had come with all this story. A short throwback was enough to show his growth, not only as a person but the development of his feelings for Dal-mi as well.

From denying every interest or memory related to Dal-mi to craving her attention and affection, the process itself had changed something intrinsically personal on Ji-pyeong. And maybe that was why he decided to concede for the immature, and yet sincere, Do-san. 

He might have been the Do-san of the letters, but not the one Dal-mi wanted after all. 

As this conclusion dawned on his mind, a new type of resolution flourished in his chest. He wasn't going to force himself on their narrative, fight for the girl and chase her was never his thing, the three years they spent together in an amicable and respectful relationship being a proof of that. 

Ji-pyeong was going to exclude himself from this narrative. For once, he wanted to be selfish and think about his interests first. 

As much as it hurts, moving on meant getting Dal-mi out of his system and respecting her wishes. At the same time, moving on also indicated he could start wishing something for himself. 

**xx**

As the week went by, Ji-pyeong decided to do what he did best: throw himself at work. 

Staying extra-hours, sending midnight emails to the team, approving plans and dissecting every call was his speciality after all. And it seems that he was pretty good at distancing himself from Dal-mi and her troop too. 

A few doors started to open in front of Ji-pyeong, ever since the hangover resolution he had a few nights ago. Business was doing better than expected, his personal and professional investments showing promising results. SH Venture Capital was steadily walking through an expansion, and the perfect spot for commanding the operations in Europe was being discussed behind closed doors. 

And if he sometimes had to take the stairs or wait for another elevator just to avoid his beloved couple, that was it. And if he had to send Park Dong Cheon or miles-long emails to the Chungmyung company it was only because he was occupied with the expansion.

Although running away wasn't initially the plan, it sometimes felt like it was the right call. The distance was a very much needed friend for him to process the mess his life had turned, but leaving Haelmoni and their relationship was beyond painful. 

They had already talked about it, and even though she was always reassuring him that he should go, Ji-pyeong was worried.

Despite the spot being perfect for his profile and a once in a lifetime experience, Ji-pyeong felt inclined to deny the opportunity. He wanted to take care of Haelmoni, and being an ocean away made that impossible. With her health worsening by the day and the sickness developing rapidly, he feared to leave her. 

Ji-pyeong made sure to visit her frequently, mostly when Dal-mi wasn't home. Between home-made meals and feeble conversations, their relationship seemed even more substantial. Still, he couldn't avoid but noticing Haelmoni slowly detaching from reality, as if she was saying goodbye.

His concern made him leave the office earlier just to grab a quick lunch with her. So what would he have to cross the city for it? Being a Director came with some privileges, and he, for sure, had the right to do so. 

On his way outside, Ji-pyeong searched for the SST trope, just to be sure he wouldn't be crossing Dal-mi's path. Apparently, the gang was reunited in the cafeteria, laughing loudly and discussing business over sodas. 

Despite all, he smiled. Being a thorn in their path wasn't pleasurable, but the results were nice to see. Now they looked like a mature team with plenty of potential and a traced path, long gone was the bunch of lost amateurs.

Satisfied and feeling lighter, Ji-pyeong went on his way to Haelmoni's house. 

Halfway through his journey, the memory of the letters and the money tree came to mind, as if testing the waters and his resolutions. Despite being decided to move on, Ji-pyeong seemed attached to these two items, even though they felt stolen. 

Waiting for the traffic light to turn green, Ji-pyeong rested his face at the window, feeling like he was being called to make a decision. Getting over everything still demanded him to give up on many things, as if he hadn't lost enough.

With a heavy sigh, he decided to make a harsh conversion and get this over with. 

**xx**

At the time he reached Haelmoni's house lunchtime was almost over. Armed with the money tree and the letterbox, Ji-pyeong breathed heavily before knocking on the door. 

Having come unannounced he hoped not to be an inconvenience. 

When no one answered he repeatedly knocked, Ji-pyeong felt a wave of fear creep in. Reaching the spare key they always left for Dal-mi's mom, he opened the door and entered the Seo's residence in slow steps. 

"Haelmoni?" he asked, not recognising the shaken tone of his voice. 

It wasn't common for Ah-Hyun to leave Haelmoni alone, but sometimes she had to run errands on the market nearby, and Choi Won-deok stayed by herself during some minutes. Still, it was never this silence.

The sound of the door opening was overwhelmed by the sudden note of the vase breaking on the ground. Instead of finding a sleepy Haelmoni, the good boy encountered the passed out body in the kitchen; all loosen limbs and pained expression.

Dropping everything he was carrying on the floor and jumping over what was left of the money tree, Ji-pyeong ran to her. With the phone dialling emergency in one hand and the other checking her vitals, he was doing his best not to lose control. 

By the time the ambulance came back, Ah-Hyun had shown up and entered a complete, distressed state over the situation. Ordering her to call Dal-mi and In-Jae, Ji-pyeong decided to join the ambulance and follow them to the hospital. 

Seeing his glassy eyes and pained features, the nurse made sure to explain that her vitals were good, and she probably hit her head while falling. Holding on to her hand for dear life, Ji-pyeong filled every form and procedure in haste, not caring to lie and say he was her son. 

He felt like one, how could he not when the thought of losing her was driving him mad? 

Once they got her inside the ICU to treat her properly, a flustered Ji-pyeong stayed behind, dishevelled hair and trembling hands trying to keep it together. As if the stress wasn't enough, Dal-mi and Do-san showed up with almost the whole gang in the waiting room. 

"What happened," Dal-mi asked, completely ignoring the cold treatment Ji-pyeong was giving or the lunatic state she was in.

Receiving the news through a phone call from a crying mother had made her age a few years in just a second. 

"I found her passed out in the kitchen and called the ambulance," Ji-pyeong said, pressing his hands on his eyes while seeking for focus and composure. 

"They said her vitals are fine and she probably had a concussion by hitting her head during the fall. They're trying to investigate what made her fall in the first place" he concluded before throwing himself at the chair in an exhausted manner.

"What will happen to her?" Dal-mi asked openly crying

Before Ji-pyeong could say something, Do-san crossed the room and embraced her, the perfect spectre of the knight on the shining armour. Breathing deeply and focusing on the situation at hand, Ji-pyeong tried to be rational and keep his feelings contained. 

After a few hours, a nurse came out of the ICU with a worried expression. Everyone jumped from their chairs, except for Ji-pyeong who seemed to be lost in his thoughts ever since Dal-mi arrived. 

"How is she?" In-Jae asked, seeing her sister unable to find the right words. 

"She is stable and awake." the nurse smiled shortly.

"But?" Ji-pyeong asked, his voice hoarse because of all the crying and the time spent on silence.

"What do you mean "but?" Do-san asked while soothing Dal-mi, annoyed by his attitude

"I had a fair share of losses to know there's also a "but" when you are waiting for this long." Ji-pyeong explained, cutting Do-san with his eyes before focusing on the nurse "Say it."

"Her prognosis is not good. Her sickness has evolved very quickly, and we are not sure of how many time she has." the nurse said simply, compelled by the stern and yet comprehensive look on Ji-pyeong's eyes.

A wave of cries and despair took place, and Ji-pyeong tried harder to suppress the desolation growing roots in his heart. Swallowing dryly, he asked.

"Can we talk to her?"

"She asked to see Mr Han Ji-pyeong first, is he here?" 

Dal-mi looked at the nurse and him with glassy eyes and a confused expression. She was aware of their story and relationship, but it felt weird to see her grandmother asking for him first, especially in such a concerning situation. 

Nodding briefly, Ji-pyeong got up from his chair to follow the nurse. Feeling like he should say something, despite all the evasion and awkward situation between them, he turned to Dal-mi and said.

"Don't worry. I’m sure it's nothing." _I'm nothing;_ he thought for a second "You'll see her in no time" Ji-pyeong confirmed with a weak smile before disappearing in the hallway. 

In the room, he couldn't force himself to raise his eyes and look at her. All the beeping sounds and tubes coming out from her bed being hard enough to swallow. 

After being left alone with her, he took small steps with the eyes planted on the ground. 

"Good boy" she called with a tiny voice "Is that you?" 

With only these words, she was able to break him all over. Every feeling he suppressed, every fear and negative thought just came crashing on him, and for once, he wasn't ashamed to cry so openly.

"Stop crying, you don't look pretty and expensive when you're crying," she demanded while tapping on the air and looking for him. 

Ji-pyeong raised his eyes at the same time that his breath became short from crying too much. Seeing her in such a fragile state was a knife in his gut.

Her bright eyes now looked dull, and her once vivid expression was marked by worries and pain he could feel in his skin. Crossing the room, he took her hand and kept trying miserably to stop crying.

"Don't you dare leave me." He demanded in his investor's voice, giving life to his most feared thoughts

"Don't you go using this voice on me, Good Boy." She said right back, slapping his hand weakly "and this is not the time to talk nonsense, I need you to listen." Haelmoni demanded, trying to find his face with small pats. 

"Haelmoni..."

"Shush, and listen." she started in a much softer voice "I'm not going to last much now, Good Boy. I've been missing my son like crazy these days, and I can somehow feel his presence around me, even now." Choi explained, her eyes focusing somewhere on the room like she could clearly see her son there

"Please don't say that" Ji-pyeong begged in an almost hushed tone, all strength, all fight left from him.

"You need to move on, Good Boy." Haelmoni cut straight to the point, her eyes and hands back to his crying face "I know you're holding yourself back because of me and I can't have this. I always knew you were up to greater things, some of them you can't even imagine, and I won't accept being responsible for delaying God's plan in your life, no sir." 

Looking at her facial expressions felt like reading the story of his own life. 

On the crinkles beside her mouth rested all the laughter and genuine smiles they shared during these last years. 

The dark circles over her warm eyes had all the late nights of writing letters and preparing recipes, of telling him stories and giving out unwanted, but much needed, pieces of advice. 

Her callused hands carried all the hugs, the pats on the back and rufflings of his hair. All the slaps, pinches and pointed fingers on his face as well.

But it was her words that would always break him the most. 

Haelmoni was the first person who made him feel seen in his life. Ever since they've met on that stormy night, she seemed to have this supernatural ability to see through his lies, his pain and the armour he built to survive. 

And with her words, she cracked his shell and kept doing so after all these years. Once again, she was cracking his shield, his protection, but for the first time since she went to see him at the bus station, she was breaking his heart.

"Trust me, Good Boy. I knew this was coming and I had everything prepared to make my passing peacefully for my girls and me, but with you it is always harder, right?" she laughed weakly, seeming to put a lot of effort in this motion.” 

"Once again, I need you to go and live your life."

"Haelmoni, I can't do this." He cried with pain dripping in every word "You can ask me to leave after you go, I can't leave all the memories because they're all I'll have." 

"Have I taught you nothing? Memories are nothing without motion." she said, patting his cheek lovingly "Use your memories to fuel your decisions and become the man you need to be. I know you didn't get the girl..."

"I refuse to talk about this now," Ji-pyeong said, laying back and wiping his tears, annoyed with this conversation.

"You can keep running from this conversation all you want, but I'm saying what needs to be said." Haelmoni explained, pinching his cheeks and bringing him closer again "I know you didn't get the girl, but she also didn't get you. Don't think you're the only one who's losing. I love my granddaughter like I love my son, and I'm happy that that sweet boy loves her, but he ain't you, Good Boy." she explained with the sweetest smile.

"What do you mean?"

"Time will teach you both what I mean, but you need to give space for the Universe and for God to work his way in your life." 

"And going to Europe after you die is the way to do so?" He asked, very much sceptical and angry with her resolution 

"You cannot heal a wound by opening it every day, and this is what you're doing." 

"Yeah, well, I can't deal with the scars either" he answered right away, getting angrier by the second with this conversation. 

"So leave the wound for nature to decide how it is supposed to heal." Haelmoni pointed out, feeling tired from that discussion "You're not running away, Good Boy, you're running to your fate and future." 

"This is stupid."

"Listen up." She said, completely tired of that bullshit. How could one of Korea's finest investors turn into a child when she asked him to obey? "This is my last request for you."

"Haelmoni!" He said, outraged by what she was saying

"If you want to pay your debt to me, you'll do as I say and leave for Europe, do you hear me Ji-pyeong?" she ordered with no patience, using his name to make him understand for once. 

"I can't believe you're throwing this argument over me in your deathbed." 

"I can't believe you're disagreeing with a dying old lady, but here we are." she said, smiling openly for the first time "I want your word, not your silence" Haelmoni demanded after a few seconds of nothing. 

This felt so much like a trap that he just wanted to run away. It felt like selling all of his investments during a good time, like signing a contract without reading it first. 

It felt unlike him entirely.

He didn't believe in this fate and future speech. He didn't buy "the God and the Universe" belief because he felt abandoned most of his life. If there was a higher force, why did he suffer so much in the past and now? 

Why were They taking Haelmoni from him and everyone else? 

He was ready to give voice to his thoughts, something he did only so sincerely with her, but the tiredness she was exhaling stopped him sharply. Right there, in the dimly lit room of the hospital, he saw how exhausted she was.

Not only because of the sickness and the toll it took on her but because of everything else too. Having lost her son, becoming responsible for another child suddenly, having to provide for her family, trying to raise him correctly and keep her business going. 

This was a woman who lived a remarkable life. A woman who fought to survive and thrive just like him and was now asking for something so small. 

Right there he chose to do what he hated the most: conceding. 

Ji-pyeong chose to let this one pass, giving her a break and for once accepting to be ordered around. 

Taking her hands and squeezing, trying to transmit all his feelings, all of his gratitude and pride and admiration, Ji-pyeong said: 

"Alright, Haelmoni. I promise" 

Her bright smile, her million-watt smile, was enough for him. In the end, her happiness was more than he could ever wish for. 

**xx**

Choi Won-deok died peacefully in her sleep three nights after the accident, officially leaving two granddaughters and a daughter in law behind. 

Unofficially, Choi Won-deok left a second son, a boy with a pained heart but the sweetest smile and the loveliest pair of dimples. 

She also left a legacy of love to the world.


	2. a piece of advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened between Dal-mi and Ji-pyeong after Haelmoni's death. 
> 
> Or the one where she finally comes to her senses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i dont know about you guys, but dal-mi needed a wake up call and im here to deliver it. she's going to suffer a little in order to GROW THE F UP AND BE A BETTER PERSON
> 
> she had so much potential at the beginning, ugh. 
> 
> so i wrote this chapter from her perspective and lemme say that i cried a lot with this one. there i was writing at four am and suddenly my ears were SOAKED in tears, yup yup. prepare the tissues and dont go hating on me
> 
> have a nice reading!!!!

**xx**

_"Don't go following your dreams so blindly. Follow your heart first and always."_

Haelmoni's advice was still fresh on Dal-mi's mind when she received the news about her grandmother's passing. 

Dal-mi was always at her side, being planted in Haelmoni's room and refusing to eat or even change clothes. After two restless nights, she decided to listen to Do-san's pleas and rest a little in the hotel they stayed nearby.

Listening to Haelmoni's doctor's positive insight made her hopeful, and she finally felt that she could breathe properly. 

After listening to her grandmother's advice, she kissed her head lovingly and went away to sleep for a few hours. Spending so much time in the hospital environment and all the tension had fully drained her energy.

Dal-mi didn't know what a full night of sleep meant since this nightmare started.

When her mother called out of nowhere announcing that Haelmoni was taken to the ICU, Dal-mi felt everything around her freezing and her insides burning from fear and desolation. 

Since her grandmother fell ill, every day was a little miracle and a bunch of frightening moments.

Phone calls, sirens, and sudden visits started to trigger odd anxiety, one where nausea took over, and her blood pressure dropped fast. One where her skin palled, and her hands trembled as if she was close to passing out. 

Waking up to desperate calls from her mother was even worse. 

Between shallow breaths, tachycardia, and black dots painting her vision, Dal-mi listened that her grandmother, her favourite person in the whole world, her second mom and first friend, had died.

She died peacefully in her sleep, they said. As if Dal-mi would ever find peace again.

She didn't feel pain, they said. As if Dal-mi would ever stop feeling it. 

When her grandmother died, she took a part of Dal-mi away, permanently and profoundly. Every cell on her body seemed to be combusting, leaving behind the resemblance of what she once was.

Crying her eyes out inside Do-san's warm embrace, she felt numb all over. Little did she know that this numbness would follow her, cornering every emotion for a very long time. 

Somewhere else in the city, Ji-pyeong packed his bags with bloodshot eyes. After visiting a significant place to say goodbye, he would leave Korea, and it's treacherous memories behind.

**xx**

Coming home to an empty house was the worst kind of torture.

Being forced to leave the hotel room and go home to deal with Haelmoni's funeral made all the pain come back. Dal-mi's injuries were still open, constantly bleeding and in the worst moments. 

Opening the door and seeing Haelmoni everywhere resurfaced every suppressed emotion. Trembling all over and faltering in her steps, Dal-mi silenced the voice of Do-san and her mother, eyes travelling rapidly through the house.

Everywhere. She was everywhere.

Dal-mi knew for once that she could never live there anymore, something she might have voiced in her already constant torpor. From her scent lingering in every pillow to her touch in every corner, Haelmoni's presence was tangent in their house.

Slow steps tried to take her to the sofa, where they had special moments during all these years, but the mud tarnishing the floor took all of her attention. A metal box and a broken vase laying around, unhooked pieces in the abundance of the house, much as Dal-mi felt now.

For the first time since receiving the worst news on her life, Dal-mi thought of something else.

She thought of Director Han. Han Ji-pyeong. The Do-san of the letters sprayed out from the metal box. 

How odd to think about him in this situation. How strange that Dal-mi never thought about him once before that too. 

Dal-mi felt like no one could understand her pain, everyone treating her with delicate fingers as if she was about to break. As if she wasn't broken already. 

No matter what she said, how much she screamed or cried, it felt like no one could see how shattered she was. 

For once, she thought if Director Han felt the same way. 

Having vanished from the hospital after talking to Haelmoni on the first day, she barely saw him again. It seemed like they had gone back to how things were: the cold treatment, the distance, and profound silence. 

He visited Haelmoni at the same time she was resting or eating in the cafeteria. Always for a few minutes, but never late. 

Dal-mi made an effort to stall her meals so that he could spend some more time together. She couldn't explain why, though, but she did it anyway.

Perhaps some part of her felt indebted to him. Maybe some part of her respected his relationship with Haelmoni, even with all the awkwardness.

Eyes fixed on the mud and dirty letters all over the floor, Dal-mi wondered where he was. Even if the feeling lasted a few seconds, it was enough to warm her heart and take her mind somewhere else. 

Later on that week, she would go to his office with the excuse to deliver the information about Haelmoni's funeral. Still, in truth, she wanted to check how he was. And maybe, just maybe, try to understand if she was alone in this ocean of desolation.

She would find out from Dong Cheon that he left for Europe on the same day Haelmoni died. He was going to run SH Venture Capital's expansion in the country, having owned the promotion and the comfort that came from it.

The feeling of abandonment and the sharp pain in her heart was uncalled for, but she felt it anyway. He left without saying goodbye, and although she knew deep down that she didn't deserve his kindness, it still hurt.

Maybe this pain was what made her start to think more about him, not as Director Han, but as Han Ji-pyeong. 

**xx**

Moving on was never easy, but Dal-mi thought it shouldn't be this hard. 

As the years passed by, the pain dulled but never fully retreated. She would sometimes think about her grandmother while doing the most mundane things, like cooking or buying groceries, and then it felt as bad as the first night. 

Moving houses was involuntary. Dal-mi's mother decided to tag along to their new place, closer to Sandbox and Dal-mi's life, but not far enough from where all the memories were. Ah-Hyun also followed her daughter because she was terrified that Dal-mi would never recover.

Chungmyung's team and her mother decided to plot a way to get her into therapy, and it worked. After some shouting and swearing, Dal-mi conceded, mostly because for once she felt seen. 

Starting the process two years meant she had a lot of catching up to do, but the alternative wasn't pleasant in any way. So she decided to try honestly.

The other members of the group therapy seemed to understand the feeling gnawing her insides day by day. Bonding over their loss made getting better more manageable, and if she had to pretend to be well most of the time, so be it.

Even if Do-san didn't believe in therapy, he was always there to take her to group reunions and personal counselling. He often tried to reach his girlfriend in her grief, giving her space and comfort to get better, but he felt her drifting apart every day.

Ever since Haelmoni's death, Dal-mi seemed to look at the world differently. She seemed to look at him differently.

She said she was trying to peace her in his life and understand what they were doing together. Although their relationship was recent, Do-san saw himself doing the same. 

Both of them felt like the dreamy fog beautifying their relationship was extinguished, and they were now seeing each other appropriately. Getting over the passion and reaching love was the real challenge for every couple, right? 

Dal-mi always thought they were not crossing this bridge. Do-san repeatedly tried to light a spark between them.

He was always being romantic and sometimes clingy, showing jealousy for no reason but because he thought this is what he should do. Dal-mi tried her best to reciprocate, but it felt stupid and insincere. 

They seemed too different to work. Do-san's tastes were not relatable to hers at all. Many times she felt like he didn't grow up from his teenage days. Do-san felt pressured every time, even though Dal-mi never asked anything from him, something he thought was a problem as well. 

Sometimes she would look at him and see a total stranger. Sometimes he would look at her and see a delirious dream he once had.

And if she frequently thought about the Do-san of the letters, so what? It meant nothing. Her counsellor said it might be a result of missing her grandmother because Ji-pyeong had an essential relationship with Haelmoni.

Sometimes she would catch herself staring at the empty document on her screen and remembering the moments she never seemed to notice. 

She would remember the small acts of caring. Like protecting her head when she entered his car during the party or closing the blinds so she could sleep after a stressful evening. 

Sometimes the big gestures came to her mind as well. Like when Ji-pyeong crossed the city to pick her up, despiting lying and saying he was there by accident—or even lying so deeply about Do-san's story just to make her dream boy come true. 

Sometimes she would look to her dream boy working and seek so deep for a spark that she felt like drowning. And if his eyes showed he was lost too, they could get over it, right?

Dal-mi loved Do-san. She was grateful for him being her swing in this business world. He always helped and listened, doing his best to make her ideas come true. 

He was there at her side when Haelmoni died, and she had to bury her. He was there for the aftermath, the hurricane, and the fragile peace after the storm.

She was there when he failed and when he thrived. She was there when he felt like a failure or got crazy angry too. 

They were together when Tarzan worked out and when their Smart City project was chosen. They were together when all Han Ji-pyeong did pack his bags and vanish. 

Smiling to her dream boy seated across from her table at Chungmyung's office, Dal-mi decided to focus on work before lunchtime. Finishing the reports about the Smart City development was so dull she was quickly drifting to unwanted thoughts.

"Dal-mi, are you coming?" Sa-ha asked with concerned eyes after a few minutes who were hours. 

"You guys can go ahead, I'll just email this to In-jae," she answered with a forced smile, one of many she had stocked to appease her friends. 

"What do you want to eat?" Do-san asked with kind eyes, again trying to reach her 

"Noodles." she answered right away, forcing the memories of Ji-pyeong out of her mind with every available strength. 

"Very specific," Chul-san pointed out, laughing. 

"Yes..." Do-san confirmed, looking into her eyes and trying to see through her answer, unable to ignore his discomfort. 

"Can't a girl have wishes?" Dal-mi questioned, smiling lovingly to her boyfriend, more to make them go so she could be alone for a few minutes and put her head in place. 

"What do I know?" Yong-san said, laughing with his friends before leaving

Looking back one last time before leaving, Do-san saw Dal-mi getting lost inside herself again. For three years now, she would do this, detach from reality and become unavailable to him. 

Frustrated, he decided to act.

**Dosannie**

_Can you do me a favour when you come down?_

12:30

Breathing in and trying hard not to get irritated, Dal-mi decided to drop her work for now. After typing three different answers, she hit send.

**Dosannie**

_Of course, what do you need?_

12:33

_Can you pick up my credit card on my backpack? I forgot it :)_

12:35

_Okay. Don't forget my noodles!_

12:36

Getting up from her table and crossing the space to Do-san's workspace, she picked up his backpack. Her search came to a sudden stop when she found a velvety box, one she knew very well from all the romantic movies on television.

 _Fuck._ Dal-mi thought, opening and seeing the ring inside it. And then she thought again at her reaction. 

He was thinking about proposing, so what? They were together for almost five years now. It was the right path. 

I mean, she could do this. Right?

She could marry the dream boy and get a happy ending. Build a family for herself as she ever wanted to, maybe buy a house with a vast backyard too.

Looking almost obsessively at the ring shining on the box, Dal-mi questioned if she would say yes when she shouldn't even need to think about this. 

Had she given any sign of saying yes to his request? Sent a mixed signal? Lord knows she was terrific at throwing mixed signals. Keeping Ji-pyeong cooking for three years because she was afraid to reject him and lose his friendship was proof of that. 

Her dream boy was thinking about proposing, and she once again remembered the one that got away. 

God, she wanted to punch herself. Really? The one that got away? 

After a few days of thinking and seeing things where there was nothing, she was already a clown. He didn't get away. He went on his own accord and moved on.

Marrying Do-san could be her way to move on too. Marry the dream boy, get a happy ending. It was that easy.

_"Don't go following your dreams so blindly. Follow your heart first and always."_

Her grandmother's last words to her came crashing down and cleaning every thought about saying yes. Who was she lying to? She couldn't do this. 

Contentment was not love, and her heart seemed to be screaming this for a long time now. 

Do-san was a great guy, with many issues to work on, such as herself, and he deserved someone who wouldn't second guess their entire relationship. 

"Did you find it?" a familiar voice asked behind her.

Do-san was there, hands on his pockets and a massive ass interrogation on his face too. Right there, she realised his plan at once. He wasn't asking about the credit card. It was never about it in the first place.

With the box in her sweaty hands and erratic heartbeats, Dal-mi finally saw him. 

Nam Do-san was a huge chapter in her life. From his name signed on her beloved letters to the presence on her life during all these years, Do-san was maybe the spine of her story.

And yet, she couldn't do this. 

Ever since her grandmother's death, Dal-mi became good at closing chapters, but she wanted to do this right. Following dreams moved her life, but it was her heart, the one who made her come this far. 

"We need to talk" Dal-mi announced, gathering courage and closing the box on her hands with a dry thud.

**xx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BAM BAM BAM *drop the mic*
> 
> hey there guys, thank you for reading this far. i hoped you cried... kidding. 
> 
> im figuring out the plot as i write it, so any suggestions are more than welcome. hit me up on the comments session or on stan twt (@chancekai) and lets yearn together
> 
> we are also on wattpad now! aweeeeeee. see you on the next update <3


	3. walking a different path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened to our Good Boy over Europe and Dodal's closure. 
> 
> Also, the one where Dal-mi finally wakes up from her delusional dreams and start to be herself again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey fam! chapter three is here and i just want to thank every reader out there giving this a shot, yall are the best
> 
> also, we might be having an eight-chapter story and before you give up on me because it's too long, lemme tell you that i will be writing their relationship evolving with lots of details and hands involved so as always: stay with me
> 
> here is our good boy getting the happiness we deserves. i hope you like it <3

**xx**

Four years of living in Europe could do wonders for a man. 

Something about French summers and Spanish winters seemed to talk directly to Ji-pyeong. Maybe it was the pleasure to speak both languages or all the homemade food he got to eat. Thankfully he adapted real fast to the environment.

Changing countries felt like a wrong decision for a long time, the pain and grief mingling with the nervousness of starting over in a foreign place. Being promoted to Head of Worldwide Operations meant a lot to his career, the responsibilities and expectations moving him daily.

After losing Haelmoni, working was a very needed distraction. 

When Ms. Yoon found out from Sandbox's gossips that Choi Won-deok had died, she basically forced Ji-pyeong into therapy. Sending Park Dong-Chun over SH Venture Capital headquarters in Europe was a bonus so he could have a familiar face around.

Of course, Ji-pyeong didn't accept it easily. His first sessions were long minutes of childish silence and plain disinterest. Despite his best efforts, a few weeks were enough for the designated therapist, Jo Hae-in, break his resolutions.

Asking subtle questions about Haelmoni was all she needed to do to get him talking. His grief had grown to an unbearable size, and sometimes Ji-pyeong feared he would lose himself. 

Every week he talked about his past, every trauma, hidden fear, and insecurity coming up in their conversations. Step after step, Ji-pyeong built himself up again through a maturing journey, becoming self-conscious of his mistakes and slowly getting better.

No matter how many years had passed, he still loved to talk about Haelmoni. And when his therapist made him talk about Dal-mi, he would change the subject and ignore the melting heat of an unfinished story in his chest.

Of course, eventually, he talked about her. They discussed his feelings, how he was hurt to see her choose Nam Do-san, how angry he felt and his overall lack of courage to shake her up and be honest. 

Time made it easier. Although his feelings never went away completely, he got over the sad memories and the broken heart after two years of regular sessions. Getting rid of all the negative energy allowed him to move on. 

And boy, did he move on. 

Between gorgeous models with legs for days and the geniuses minds of prominent entrepreneurs, Ji-pyeong discovered that he could be charming and a funny person. Being away from Korea's stress and the situation he ended up with on Sandbox left space for him to know himself honestly. 

His self-knowledge journey made him find a short number of amazing lovers, women from different backgrounds, and many lessons to teach. Although their relationship never lasted long, Ji-pyeong loved them with all the available space in his heart. 

All the space that wasn't permanently occupied with the woman who was practically a mother he never had, but also with the girl he could never truly forget. 

Seeing himself in a much different optic allowed him to make friends for the first time. Sometimes he would sit on the bar with his colleagues and friends from the European SH team and think about how lucky he was to finally find people who wanted to be with him for who he was. Just like that.

Even Park Dong-Chun became a more pleasant person to be around. Fighting him became a friendship thing once Ji-pyeong learned to open himself up, be vulnerable, and let people in his life. 

He was the friend who helped everyone. Your favorite superhero always trying his best to make everyone happy.

Making friends with the people he chose to join SH's team meant he was encircled by people who liked him on a daily basis. People who listened to his bits of advice without throwing fists on his face out of nowhere and without pouting like a child. 

Ji-pyeong was still an honest-to-God person, but that was what made him get so far in life. Now, he would choose his words carefully and take every opinion into perspective before making a decision.

Being watched and seen by his team made his heart flutter with pride and affection. Everyone would always look at him with bright eyes while discussing big decisions, taking his advice into consideration and making work an easy thing. 

He would always think about how happy Haelmoni would be to see him like that. 

Sometimes, he caught himself thinking about Dal-mi in the most random moments. Like when he ate noodles with his team on an all-nighter at the office or during meetings with dreamy CEOs. 

Park Dong-Chung convinced him to invest in a company that linked orphans with sponsors so they could have a safety net after leaving the orphanage. He saw Yeongsil on the joyful CEO's every move, but sometimes he would see Dal-mi there too.

After leaving Seoul, he promised to fully live his life and move on. As much as his hand sometimes itched to stalk Dal-mi on social media or send a text, he wouldn't. Despite his therapist ordering him to grow up and stop with this nonsense, even if he did to get closure, Ji-pyeong wasn't ready.

He knew deep down that this feeling was all he had left from her. Giving up on it and getting closure meant to cut ties with Dal-mi definitely, and he didn't want to.

Ji-pyeong saw himself walking this same path on his mind on an ordinary workday. Getting up from his table, he decided to annoy Park Dong-Chun to distract himself. 

Walking to his office, he couldn't avoid laughing at the golden plaque saying "Director Park" shining on the door. Ji-pyeong entered his empty room and started to be nosy as always. 

His little rendezvous ended after Dong-Chun's screen lit up with an incoming e-mail. Curious as always, Ji-pyeong opened it just for the sake of it. 

**To:** _parkdongchun@shvc.com_

 **From:** _seodalmi@sandbox.com_

 **Subject:** _Merry (early) Christimas!!!!!! 🥳🥳_

Hello Mr Director, 

How are you? I hope everything is fine down there!

I want to start this e-mail by telling you again how glad I am that you reached me after all these years. It makes my heart warm to see that you remember me, even with all the trouble I created. 

Down here, we are getting ready for Christmas, so I thought about sending a digital celebration card earlier by a few weeks. Indexed to this message is a card we made at the Institute, along with the real photo without the cheeky edit. 

Don't go missing Korea so much. You are not losing much! 

Best regards,

**Seo Dal-mi**

_CEO of Chungmyung Company_

_CMO of Injae Company_

_Founder of the Choi Won-Deok Institute_

After reading the whole e-mail for the fifth time, Ji-pyeong's eyes fell over the archives uploaded with the message. Finding the courage to open it, he felt his body falling instantaneously on the chair once the picture loaded.

The pics showed a Dal-mi with long braided hair, and her million-watt smile brightening the room, lighting up his world.

Her orange t-shirt carried the sayings of _Choi Won-Deok Institute_. In the picture, she was hugging her sister and mother alongside some older people smiling brightly too. Dal-mi eyes were shining, and Ji-pyeong couldn't stop looking at her. 

A quick research over the internet showed him that Choi Won-Deok Institute was a non-profit organization dedicated to helping family business to keep going. They offered a vast catalogue of services, from developing business models to rebranding the whole thing.

His research also showed that Injae and Dal-mi created the Institute on the third anniversary of Haelmoni's death, dedicating their work to her legacy.

While Ji-pyeong's eyes dissected the picture occupying the screen, searching effortlessly for any changes in the face he dreamed with, his phone started to ring. After losing the first two calls because of his lethargy, Ji-pyeong finally returned to reality and picked up his phone.

"Yes?" He asked with a voice he didn't fully recognise

"It's time." Ms. Yoon's voice said on the other side of the line, her sentence putting the last nail on his coffin.

**xx**

Chasing dreams and making them come true might be her speciality, but it was never easy.

Seo Dal-mi seemed to win another title and a whole bunch of responsibilities with every passing year. Founding the Choi Won-Deok Institute was a huge step in her life. One that impacted her relationship with In-Jae and Ah-Hyun, but one she was very proud of nonetheless. 

Starting a non-profit organization was hard enough, but managing one and balancing with the exhausting work of a CEO and CMO? Let's talk about an almost impossible mission. 

Despite the hardship, seeing family businesses thrive and survive the destroying wave of big companies made it all worth it. And the fact that she won her sister and her mother back in the process didn't hurt either. 

One year after ending things with Do-san and parting ways, Dal-mi found herself full of new ideas, compromises, meetings, and an annoying pile of paperwork to do. 

Once again, the rising CEO thought of how things had changed in a year. While tying her hair and waiting in the best cafeteria around Sandbox, Dal-mi reflected on her choices. 

The conversation with Do-san wasn't an easy one. Both of them ugly cried, although for different reasons, and extended the discussions for days until realizing how their relationship shouldn't always be this hard. 

Dal-mi cried because coming to terms with how wrong she was, how delusional and affectionate she became to the illusion of a dream boy meant she was able to regret her choices after all. Something she once told a special someone that would never happen. 

Who was she trying to convince? Dal-mi couldn't even tell a reason she liked him in the first place. It just felt like the right thing to do from day one, and so she allowed herself to be comfortable instead of happy. 

Do-san cried because he felt like a cheater all over again. It was like he cheated his way into Dal-mi's heart, and she finally saw it. Most of all, it was beyond frustrating to be confronted with the fact that making a person his dream and joy was just a desperate effort to keep her close.

He saw the clear signs, all the subtle hints that they weren't going to work together and how easily Dal-mi seemed to disconnect from him. Do-san tried his best to believe in real, tangible things as a very logical and rational person, but apparently, their relationship was nothing more than a passionate fog that went away too fast, but a little late as well.

When these conclusions came crashing down on them, after a good hour of screaming and crying in Dal-mi's empty house, their silence became the loudest noise in the room. For the first time in many years, they saw each other, and wasn't love about being wholly seen? 

It shouldn't be this hard, though. 

After a few weeks of recovering from the pain and hurt of all the discussions brought up, Dal-mi and Do-san decided to have a final conversation. Not only for closure but in respect of their story. 

It was impossible to erase everything they shared, but ending things allowed them to move on with their lives without regret. They had already lost too much time over a failing relationship, now was time to take different paths. 

Maybe distance and time would turn the awkward amiability into a meaningful friendship. Maybe not. 

So when In-Jae told them they'd be recruiting developers over Silicon Valley, Do-san jumped in the opportunity. Although Chul-san and Yong-san stayed behind, the three would take turns coming and going to San Francisco to prepare the new team and check their work. Still, Do-san stayed away from Korea more than the others. 

Dal-mi dedicated herself entirely to work on the next year after their breakup. With the Smart City project being a success, Injae Company and Chungmyung Company were booked and busy. 

Starting the non-profit Institute in her grandmother's name added many things to do on her days, so she focused on making everything work. 

Once her relationship with In-Jae found a new rhythm, they decided to start the side project of making their father's business plan come true. Back in the day, he developed a website where people could find food without needing to stock pamphlets, but now the times were different. 

Dal-mi and In-Jae spent months dedicating themselves to developing _Foodie_. Foodie was an app where people could find the best food for a lower price, collect tickets, and compare prices before deciding what to eat. 

Integrating a delivery system to Tarzan's project was the last piece to make the app viral. Who wouldn't like to receive their food from an almost magic car with no driver? 

Offering security, fast delivery, and a joyful experience made the app sell like crazy. 

The sister's plan to avoid getting people fired was training the most significant number of workers to operate Tarzan properly. To execute this plan, Chungmyung Company offered courses and classes to capacitate workers, offering better payment and life insurances to everyone. 

Although this cost them an ocean of money, the result was satisfying. Seeing their father's dream come true was excellent, and getting a profit from it? Even better. 

Dal-mi knew deep down, though she would never say out loud, that she couldn't do it without In-Jae. Since Haelmoni's death, they found a new way to love each other, one that included a lot of bickering and screaming around their house or the office. 

They always seemed to be hitting heads, but the results that came from it made their companies such a success. 

With a smile on her face caused by all these memories, Dal-mi drank her coffee and walked to Sandbox. It was a sunny and pleasurable day, and she could enjoy the feeling of the sun over her skin a little. 

**xx**

She couldn't pinpoint exactly when she started to write him letters again. 

Maybe it was after the breakup. Or maybe she never stopped writing to him on her mind. 

After a hard day, Dal-mi would pick up any piece of paper, write him some words, tell about her day, or just get the stress out of her system. Ji-pyeong would never get these letters, so it didn't matter what she wrote. 

It felt therapeutic, and her counsellor was approving the initiative. So there was nothing wrong in doing this. 

Sure, she had Sa-ha as a fierce best friend, and In-Jae could sometimes give good bits of advice too, but it wasn't the same. 

Despite being resistant at the beginning, talking about Ji-pyeong became more comfortable over time. Although the abandonment feeling never left her, Dal-mi was now used to remember things about him, having a whole new perspective of the hidden memories. 

Dal-mi's pride would never allow her to regret her choices, but sometimes she felt sick remembering how wrong she was. How badly she treated the boy who only wanted to see her happy since forever. 

So writing made the feeling lighter. 

During her days, she would often think about what he would say before making a decision, trying to call her honest-to-God part into action. At least, their troubled relationship never got in the way of his needed pieces of advice. 

Seeing him everywhere didn't make things easier, though. He seemed to be all over the place, no matter where Dal-mi looked. On magazine covers in breathtaking photoshoots, over television embracing ethereal models on a red carpet, or just being quoted as one of the world's most prominent investor. 

After four years, she still felt her heart racing when she listened to his name being said somewhere. Despite their distance, Ji-pyeong felt like a constant presence in her life. 

That's why when she listened to some unknown girls from SH Venture Capital talking about him in Sandbox's hall, her brain didn't process their words properly. Pretending to be wildly entertained by her phone, Dal-mi practically jumped over their conversation just to be sure she wasn’t in the middle of a feverish dream. 

"So he is here?" one of the girls said in a hushed tone, like a high schooler talking about the hotshot jock. 

Listen, Dal-mi might suck at making decisions, especially over the matters of the heart, but she wasn't stupid. Without even thinking twice, she just knew they were talking about him. 

_Her Ji-pyeong,_ she thought briefly before suppressing the sudden and uncalled possessiveness. Trying to control her heartbeats not to lose a piece of this conversation, Dal-mi focused again on what they were babbling about.

"From what I heard, Ms. Yoon switched places with him so he and his team could enjoy a little Korean Christmas." the other one said, gossiping with pride.

"She is such a nice boss, right?" 

"Girl, ain't nobody discussing Ms. Yoon here." Gossiper Queen, as Dal-mi was now calling her, said with a malicious smile, "We are talking about the hottest piece of meat around this country and Europe."

"Have you seen the actress and models he dated? They're all super pretty," the third one said, laughing, making the acid taste of jealousy take place over Dal-mi's tongue. 

Realizing that this conversation would only make her sick after a stressful day, Dal-mi decided to go home. She crossed the hall with her mind travelling away, more specifically to what it would mean for her if this rumour was true. 

Calling for the elevator, Dal-mi allowed memories of him to come running back. She might not be able to process what it meant for him to be back, but walking through her reminiscence was easy now. 

Dal-mi remembered how he mixed her noodles while saying the words every living woman in the world would like to hear. The image of his kind eyes coming vividly to her mind, the little smile she gave her after declaring herself spreading heat over her chest, like molten honey and sweet tea. 

She remembered the money tree, all of its symbolism, and how he took great care of it. 

For some reason, she also thought about his unique scent, maybe because Dal-mi was suddenly sensing it in the hall. Ji-pyeong smelled like homemade cookies and expensive cinnamon perfume. 

Although remembering his scent felt strange, it also felt like home to her. 

Her mind travelled back to making food with him and her family during Chuseok, joking at how bad he was at cooking in what was now one of Dal-mi's favourite memories. And then finding him awake in the middle of the night and listening to his whole-heartedly request to be the first person she thought about during demanding situations. 

If only she knew back then what she knew now. 

If only someone could have told her that Ji-pyeong would continuously be on her mind.

When the elevator doors opened, revealing the astonishing figure of a suit dressed Han Ji-pyeong, black hair slicked in a fancy way and hands on his pockets, Dal-mi could swear she had gone mad. Could a person have a delirium episode caused by working too much? 

Dal-mi's eyes were probably jumping off her face, and she knew that her dishevelled appearance wasn't appeasing to see at all. She wasn't convinced that it was happening at all, but then he smiled. 

With one smile, he erased all the previous ones from her love life. 

Seeing his smile felt just like watching a Christmas tree light up, illuminating everything and bringing that joyful emotion over everyone's heart. As she did many times in her head, Dal-mi counted to five until his dimples showed up, transforming his handsome face into a work of art. 

When his enticing scent reached her senses, Dal-mi felt like fainting. His expansive scent felt like finally coming home after the longest journey. 

Science tells us that human beings keep people alive in their minds by remembering the smallest details. After someone's death or disappearance, it is common to forget the sound of their voices or their facial expressions. Still, the scent, the touch, or their energy could never wholly vanish from our senses. 

That is why Dal-mi only wished to keep feeling everything at that moment. _God, if this isn’t for real, can I at least dream for a few more seconds?_ , she thought to herself. 

"Are you coming up or down?" the Delirium's Han Ji-pyeong asked with a fire on his eyes, looking at her in a way that made Dal-mi feel fully exposed. 

Listening to the rich sound of his voice made all come crashing down. All the memories, the pain, the yearning, and confusing emotions. 

He was there, right in front of her.

He was home. 

**xx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first of all i'd like to say that chapter four is ready and being revised as you read this note.
> 
> I HOPE YALL LIKE IT BECAUSE WRITING HAPPINESS TO JI-PYEONG WAS AMAZING!!!!! also: YES THERAPY. to both of them
> 
> i don't know how yall felt but for me the biggest issue on this show is the lack of communication and self-knowledge, so i decided to give them some on a way that made sense. 
> 
> did you like this chapter? hit me up on stan twt (@chancekai) and in the comments, lets share our feelings over han ji-pyeong and the story as well <3


	4. the path of fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when Dal-mi and Ji-pyeong are individually confronted by their feelings after their encounters. 
> 
> Or the one where Sa-ha and In-jae steal the scene just to force her into action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i dont know about you guys but i felt like the kdrama lost a great opportunity to develop the female characters and their friendship. so here i am, once again, trying to make them justice. 
> 
> i loved writing this chapter and i know yall are crazy for some lovey-dovey scenes, but i want to make them communicate first and understand their feelings. ain't nobody creating a rushed couple in here, we doin this right fellas. 
> 
> have a nice reading and don't forget to hit me up on the comments section or over stan twt (@chancekai)

Ji-pyeong thought he was ready to see her, but nothing in the world could have prepared him for the impact of their first encounter. 

With her, it was always a narrowed vision, everything else fading in the background. Dal-mi’s presence would always take over Ji-pyeong's senses, thoughts, and emotions. 

Once again, he was dazzled by her existence. 

Even with messy hair, a wrinkled t-shirt, and tired eyes staring at him, Ji-pyeong felt like he had never seen someone so pretty in his life. The past four years had done her justice. Dal-mi's expression was now sharper and mature. 

He wondered what had changed inside her.

Ji-pyeong couldn't believe all it took was a few minutes in her presence to make all his walls come down. And yet, there he was, exchanging looks with a confused Dal-mi in a battle of wills just like they used to do in the past.

They. Even thinking of them as something more than individuals made his heart ache.

God, he was such a loser. 

**xx**

Dal-mi mapped his expression on her mind, hands tingling to touch him. Holding tight to her coat was the only thing she could do to stop trembling and to ground herself.

She tried to pinch her arm too, but of course, Ji-pyeong noticed, the spark in his eyes being the only sign of acknowledgement. She tried to breathe in and say something, but words weren't enough in this scenario.

Dal-mi dreamed and thought and fantasized about their reunion for long hours on sleepless nights. 

On nights she would wake up with his scent on her skin and what she thought was his taste over her tongue. On nights that rapid heartbeats denounced her mental state over this guy.

She would sometimes fantasize about meeting him at a cocktail party, dressed in a killing blue dress matching his tie by coincidence. They would talk about their past, present, and future over bubbly champagnes and simply exist together for a while.

That would be enough for Dal-mi. She knew that she didn't deserve more than that anyway.

But of course, the Universe decided to play with her again. Reuniting with him in the messiest state after a hard day, with the caffeine effects leaving space for her tiredness and a persistent headache, was just perfect.

Dal-mi looked at him feeling embarrassed and wanting oh-so-much to hide. Before she could run away, the elevator doors started to close, and her body instinctively took her inside it.

One step too close to Ji-pyeong and his intoxicating scent. 

Realizing she was invading his space and that he wasn't backing away too, Dal-mi decided to create some distance between them before she lost her mind. Fleeing to the other side of the elevator, Dal-mi offered a small smile before hitting the panel's garage button.

"Down it is then," he said, jokingly, every word a smart caress over Dal-mi skin.

The short ride to the garage was filled with an awkward silence and stolen glances from both parts. Dal-mi felt stupid for not saying a word to him, but she was terrified to combust.

She wondered if he could hear her heartbeats because it felt like the world's most giant drum was performing in her chest. Every cell in Dal-mi's body felt alive, thrumming, and vibrating as if her organism was asleep and waiting for him to come back. 

The elevator sound announcing they've reached her level came as a friend and an enemy. As much as she wanted to stay on this elevator forever, Dal-mi knew it wasn't possible.

Not only for a logical reason but also because, apparently, she was not ready to deal with him yet.

Self-consciously lifting her left hand, a very much bare and ringless one, she slowly waved him goodbye and said the lamest thing ever:

"See you." 

As Dal-mi power-walked to her car, leaving behind a joyful Han Ji-pyeong following her with his eyes, all she could think was: 

_Will I be too lucky and get to see him again?_

**xx**

The rest of the week passed in a blur of long meetings and paperwork.

Finally, it was Friday, which meant a few days away from that forsaken elevator and its memories. Dal-mi revived her encounter with Ji-pyeong so many times on her mind that she could effortlessly say everything that happened in the tiniest details now.

Unfortunately, Dal-mi didn't see him again. 

In front of the office door, she tied her hair on a low ponytail while thinking about everything for the billionth time. Dal-mi was already convinced that it was all a very vivid dream when she opened the door and bumped into Ji-pyeong walking out.

The embarrassment was overwhelmed only by the feeling of his hands holding her shoulders so Dal-mi wouldn't fall. His concerned eyes warmed her heart and made butterflies take frantic flights on her stomach, the heat of Ji-pyeong's hands reaching the farthest part of her being. 

"Are you okay?" He asked, unknowing how this small sentence could have a million types of answers. 

Was she okay after these four years? Was she okay after losing Haelmoni? 

Was she okay having to end things with Do-san and coming to terms with her choices? Was she okay with everything he did to him? 

Was she okay second-guessing herself now and thinking about him more than it was deemed healthy?

Was she? 

"Did I hurt you?" Ji-pyeong insisted while checking her down. 

After all these years, he was still concerned and taking care of her. Even with their troubled past, Dal-mi seemed to come first in his mind.

And apparently, he was dedicated to making her crazy with these ambiguous questions. 

Breathing and remembering it wasn't that deep, she smiled and answered: 

"We need to stop meeting like this." Her playfulness, a shield to hide the crazy nerves, taking over.

Realizing that he was touching her for a second longer than necessary, Ji-pyeong took his hands back to his pockets. Ignoring his skin tingling by the unexpected contact, he smiled and said:

"Well, if it happens twice, we might call it fate."

 _Was he flirting with her?_ Both of them thought while looking deeply at each other, ignoring everyone else staring at their weird interaction. 

Sa-ha fake cough took Dal-mi and Ji-pyeong out of their atmosphere, landing them back to reality. One where five heads stared openly at them, confused by what was going on. 

"Yes. Good morning" Dal-mi said, smiling and going to her table, heart withering by the distance she created between them. "What are we focusing on today?" 

"You have a meeting with the marketing team of Foodie during lunch, which is convenient," her assistant said with a smile, opening up Dal-mi's schedule on a tablet. "And your sister requested to see you after her conversation with Mr. Han." 

"You guys are having a meeting today?" Dal-mi asked Ji-pyeong, noticing his eyes were openly glued to her. 

"Yes, they are." Sa-ha interfered, moving her chair, so Dal-mi looked at her, a big interrogation sign on the designer's face. 

"Why am I only knowing about this now?" Dal-mi asked Ji-pyeong, ignoring Sa-ha's expression and fighting to control the jealousy in her heart.

"Because you are not invited, and she made sure I said that to you." her assistance said with a guilty expression.

All this talking was only annoying her boss, who only wanted to hear just one person answering and explaining what was going on. 

"She asked to meet me so we could discuss the current situation of Injae Company. It seems that she wants my advice on some matters." Ji-pyeong explained without hiding anything.

He looked at her with his head tilted to the side, accessing Dal-mi and her new authority. Ji-pyeong’s expression made her feel naked, his warm eyes stripping off each layer of clothing and protection she had created around herself. 

"I can take you to her office, Mr. Han" Chul-san said straight after being kicked by his girlfriend under the table.

"It's literally next door." Yong-san said, laughing and earning an angry face from Sa-ha.

"Well, I don't want to be an inconvenience, so I'll get going," Ji-pyeong announced with a smile, happy to see that some things haven't changed at all. 

"You are not..." Dal-mi started to say before being cut by an energetic Sa-ha.

"Ms. Seo, a word, please." The designer requested before practically dragging her to one of the empty rooms on their floor.

"What's wrong?" Dal-mi asked, trying to compose herself while Sa-Ha locked the door.

"Were you about to say the world's cheesiest line on your first encounter with Mr.Han?" The older woman questioned with hands on her hips.

"It wasn't our first encounter", Dal-mi said, flinching with her best friend's tone and posture.

"What?"

"We met at the elevator a few days ago, but I thought it was an illusion" she explained, trying to regain her confidence.

"Oh my God, you're so clueless." her friend said, astonished with Dal-mi's naivety. 

"Last time I checked, I was still your boss."

"And I'm your best friend, the only female who can stand you, really," Sa-Ha retorted smartly with a wicked smile. 

"Why are we having this conversation again?" Dal-mi questioned, irritated by her lack of control over everything. 

"Because you're head over hills with Mr.Han, and I can't see you embarrass yourself like that." 

"Sa-Ha..." the CEO started, trying to end this useless and stressful conversation.

"You're going to listen up, _capiche_?" Sa-Ha said, cutting her lame speech with an elegant flick of her hand. "I spent these four years seeing you all shades of grey over your love life, rejecting millionaire dudes and tech geniuses because you couldn't get over your miserable choices, so now I get to talk, and you'll listen," explained the designer before forcing Dal-mi to sit. 

"What? Don't you like Do-san?"

"Who doesn't like a cute puppy who gets you rich with great abilities?" Sa-Ha questioned like someone saying the most obvious thing ever "That is not the point here."

"A puppy?" Dal-mi asked, making a funny face "Aren't you almost marrying one of his best friends?"

"Yes, I am that awesome." Her best friend said, throwing her hair back like some model on a shampoo commercial, "Stop trying to change the subject and pay attention. You might want to take notes as well", Sa-Ha announced, a pointed finger with an on-point manicure straight over Dal-mi's face. 

"Yes, ma'am." Dal-mi answered, crossing her arms and just knowing this would never end before her meeting.

"Ji-pyeong doesn't know you and Do-san are over, _finito, fertig_." Sa-Ha started listening to the words for an ended relationship in Italian and German, just to add her brand drama over the information.

"Haven't you guys gossiped about it for him yet? I'm actually surprised", Dal-mi answered with a fake shocked face, her heart racing just with the thought of how Ji-pyeong would react.

"We didn't because I stopped the boys from saying it, although your sister might tell him that Do-san is an ocean away from here. From you, actually", her best friend explained, emphasizing the last part just for the pleasure of seeing Dal-mi squeak a little. 

As if conjured by some devil force, her phone vibrated over the table. The ringtone indicated that In-jae was sending a message. 

Looking sideways to a very smiley Sa-Ha, the CEO took her phone and opened their conversation.

**Unnie**

_Are you behaving nicely?_

8:30

_What does this even mean??????_

8:31

_Based on your answer, I can already say that you are not. Ugh_

8:31

_Leave me alone, please._

8:31

_I'm your boss._

8:31

_Unfortunately, you are also my sister._

8:32

_You're the worst liar. Also, don't forget, we have a meeting later today._

8:32

_Okay._

8:32

_We have to discuss some issues._

8:32

_Okay Miss CEO_

_8:33_

_Please don't be late. Why are you always late?_

8:33

_Okay!!!!! Please let me go now._

8:33

 _Oh, we also need to talk about Ji-pyeong being our future_ shareholder _._

8:34

_Okay, bye now, sis :D_

8:34

_INJAE????????????_

8:35

Dal-mi wanted to throw fists over her sister's face, a feeling that became very common since they began to work together. Sa-Ha looked at her, already knowing what was going so, but before she lost her friend to a dark and angered mood, she said: 

"I am not going to dictate how you should act, but please take my words into consideration before being stupid. Please." 

"You're the worst." 

"Thank you, bestie," Sa-Ha answered with a cute smile, feeling flattered by Dal-mi's response.

Leaving her best friend and CEO alone in the room served the purpose of making her think a little. It seemed like Han Ji-pyeong came back home as an unexpected storm, resurfacing old emotions, and adding a bit of drama to everyone's life. 

Sa-Ha loved that, but Dal-mi felt truly lost. 

Looking at the enormous drawing of the girl in the swing, of her really, Dal-mi could only think about how in trouble she was. She couldn't lie that a part of her also felt happy to have her sandbox back. 

**xx**

"Can you repeat that? I think my brain is not working as it should today," Dal-mi requested her sister, the one seated across from her in all the glory of being the boss and CEO of a successful company. 

"It took you long enough to realize you are not wired correctly," In-jae answered, rolling her eyes at her sister's immaturity. "We need to convince Mr. Han to invest in our company, and to do so, you'll be showing him our brilliant innovations until he leaves back for Europe."

"Do you hate me?" Dal-mi asked plainly, not caring to hide her thoughts or filter them before saying it. 

"Would that make you leave and get to work? Because my answer can change." her older sister smartly answered, a smile appearing on her face as if this was funny. 

This couldn't be happening. The devil worked hard, but her sister worked harder. Making Dal-mi follow Ji-pyeong all day was just an open vengeance for her past mistakes, but In-jae seemed inflexible over this matter.

"Why do we need him again? I'm sure we can get other investors over the board." Dal-mi questioned while plotting her away out of this situation. 

"Ji-pyeong was elected the world's youngest millionaire investor on Forbes Magazine. Have you seen his interview?" In-jae pointed out as if it wasn't obvious. 

Everyone had seen it. How could Dal-mi, the person who seemed to be in love with him since forever now, ignore his popularity? 

Dal-mi really couldn't, though. Beyond reading the same interview a hundred times, she was more than updated on his development in the industry. 

Because of him, SH Venture Capital was one of Europe and Asia's most competitive companies, slowly growing their wings over America. When she saw him over television receiving awards and being interviewed as an authority, Dal-mi’s heart fluttered and warmed with pride, one she didn't deserve to feel. However, one that she felt anyway.

"This is not the point." Dal-mi answered after a few seconds of silence and an open mouth. 

"You need to clear things with him, so this can work." In-jae declared, hiding her evil smile of a plotting sister over her hands.

"Little sis, listen up…"

"You've already used your little sis cards this month." Her boss interrupted, raising a hand to cut Dal-mi blabbering. "Get this done with and stop crying around. You're wasting my money and time."

"Excuse me?" Dal-mi asked, outraged by her sister's arrogance. As if they weren't working together for almost a decade. 

"Why are you still here?" In-jae questioned, her face bare of any affection and interest, dispensing her sister altogether. 

With a suppressed scream turned into a loud sigh, Dal-mi got up and left her sister's office, not caring to hit the door loudly on the way out. Large steps took her to the rooftop, the only place in Sandbox where she could vent freely. 

The wholesome hair and open sky hugged Dal-mi like a dear friend, one she didn't seem to have at the moment. With Sa-Ha and In-jae plotting against her, all the rising CEO had was the memories of Haelmoni's sweet words.

Resting her head on the high wall next to the doors, Dal-mi tried to breathe and think of what Haelmoni would say in this situation. Would she make fun of her current state? Maybe say something about God's plan for our life and pat her back lovingly after giving needed advice. 

Even after four years, sometimes the pain of missing her grandmother returned with a closed fist over Dal-mi's heart. Remembering her meant keeping the fragments of who she was alive, even if it was just inside her granddaughter's mind. 

For Dal-mi, it was enough. 

Thinking about her grandmother helped her cope with life in general. The stressful meetings, the closed doors on her face, and the constant patronizing of older men who thought they knew better, seeing Dal-mi only as a child even after all these years. Remembering Haelmoni's sweet smile made it all easier. 

Lost in thoughts, Dal-mi jumped almost twice her height with the feeling of a familiar hand touching her shoulder. In such a distressed state, she hasn't realized someone went to the rooftop as well. 

"Are you okay?" the velvety rich voice of Ji-pyeong asked, turning her body and forcing Dal-mi to look straight into his kind eyes. 

What was up with him and these questions today? Had the last years enhanced his level of nicety, or was she just really noticing it now?

"Did you follow me here?" she asked, trying to evade his touch and concern but failing to hide her genuine interest over his answer. 

"I actually called your name a few times until it got ridiculous." Ji-pyeong assumed, laughing and trying hard to not fix her messy hair. "I decided to follow you up here so I wouldn't have to keep screaming. Also, you looked very disturbed."

"I am very disturbed, but the past years haven't taken over my control yet, so no need to worry." Dal-mi explained, taking a step to the side so she could get away from his intoxicating scent and enticing touch. 

"What happened?" Ji-pyeong questioned, putting his hands on his pockets to escape the suddenly chilly air but also out of mania. 

Ever since their first encounter, Ji-pyeong saw himself wanting to touch Dal-mi at every chance. More than a feeling, it was almost a need, such a maddening desire that he needed to force his body to obey sometimes. 

He wasn't blind. Ji-pyeong saw her constant evasion. The surprise in her eyes was read as displeasure instead of happiness from seeing him after four years. Her discomfort was palpable, and although the Good Boy was interpreting everything in the wrong way, he would never force himself over her. 

"What?" She asked, being distracted by his hands for a few seconds. 

Sometimes she thought this hand fetish thing was getting out of control. Maybe she should take this to her next counseling session after all. 

"I asked what happened." He said, smiling, seeing that she was still a distracted person. 

Again he and his ambiguous questions. Dal-mi couldn't help it but seek for some hidden intention in Ji-pyeong's words. 

Was he asking her what happened all these years or he just wanted to know why In-jae was the world's most infuriating human being? Was he interested in her feelings or just being a nice person? 

She was going crazy. How could her sister expect Dal-mi to work peacefully with him? 

At the end of the day, she knew In-jae was right. Getting Ji-pyeong over the board meant Injae Company and Chunmyung Company could escalate their level, having his authority and popularity intertwined with their work. 

From a professional point of view, his return during the company's best phase was just perfect. However, from a personal perspective, seeing Ji-pyeong again meant dealing with many unsolved feelings, fears, and insecurities. 

Dal-mi had kept this box closed for so long that the thought of opening it made her heart race, the air becoming harder to breathe.

Regardless of her feelings towards him, Dal-mi was a professional. Seeing her company thrive meant thriving as well, making the world a better place for the next generation and fulfilling her dad's dreams in the meantime. 

That is why she decided to start this conversation. Not because wanting to know Ji-pyeong's reasons made her mad sometimes at night. Not because she needed to hear him talking with an open heart after so many years of distance and numbness filling her life.

Looking at his eyes meant looking at her own story as well. His kind eyes and handsome expressions carried the secrets of her heart, many of them still unknown to her. 

Looking at him made her think about the meaning of love, and Dal-mi knew deep down that she couldn't work with him having these thoughts and feelings overwhelming her at every moment. 

"We need to talk," Dal-mi said, her expressions leaving no space to question what the conversation was about. 

"Yes, we do." Ji-pyeong agreed, the chilly air being nothing compared to his now distressed and cold hands.

**xx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes sa-ha speaks italian in my fanfic. yes she is sexy 
> 
> ANYWAYS yall are not ready for the next chapter. i'm talking about ten pages of a huge fight, lots of screaming, sexual tension, yearning and so much pain involved. 
> 
> well, i'm glad to announce that this chapter is ready and good to go, but yall be suing my ass over it lmao. 
> 
> as always: thank for reading it and please lets discuss the story over the comment section and on stan twt!!! (@chancekai)


	5. confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when the truth comes up and all we have left is pain.
> 
> Or the one where they scream their hearts out to each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in order to have a full experience, i suggest that you guys listen to the playlist placed at the beginning of the chapter, starting with one day and then letting the algorithm decide how to make you cry 
> 
> im sorry in advance for every pain my writing might have caused and i hope yall like this chapter, it is a very emotional one but also necessary 
> 
> enough with being formal and polite now: LETS GO JIDAL CLOWNS 
> 
> shout out to mail for creating this awesome playlist and to julia for being the best beta reading out there, even when she's cursing my ass

_(clickable link to the playlist:[here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5vAiszvBhqKjXOtSVnmnoQ?si=c3xurLo6ScydU8Xmq3QTYg)) _

**xx**

Their expressions carried a universe of suppressed emotions.

Ji-pyeong and Dal-mi stood miles apart on Sandbox's rooftop, the same place she once chose him as her mentor and guide. The short distance between them was nothing compared to how emotionally far they seemed to be from each other. 

For Dal-mi, it felt like drowning. 

Ji-pyeong was, once again, concerned with Dal-mi. He feared being an inconvenience on her love and professional life, already seeming to have caused trouble with his short visits.

Perhaps the constant evasion and rejection was her way of showing that he was indeed a burden. Perhaps four years wasn't enough for her to see Ji-pyeong after all. 

You can't force someone to fall for you, just like you can't force a person to move on. 

At least Ji-pyeong could clarify the situation and get out of her radar. He was going back to Europe right after New Year's Eve, so getting closure could be enough. 

It could be enough just like once the money tree and the letterbox was. Even if Ji-pyeong had to repeat this over and over until he believed it.

"Listen, Dal-mi." He said, startling the woman after hearing her informal name rolling out on his tongue for the first time. "I decided to refuse Seo In-jae's proposal because it's not my intention to be a burden in your life, it's not my place too. I..."

"Why did you leave?" Dal-mi asked, tired of wasting time and not caring to be polite anymore. 

While being an annoyance preoccupied Ji-pyeong, Dal-mi could barely think with a thousand questions running through her mind. Questions that haunted her day and night. 

So she chose to start with the most obvious and frequent one. 

Dal-mi knew that opening this box meant being vulnerable and susceptible to anything. However, she couldn't hide anymore, and getting this over with allowed her to at least work with him. 

Ji-pyeong shock threw every word and prepared speech through the window. Although he feared this was the topic of their conversation since the beginning, he didn't feel like it was the right scenario to discuss such a weighty matter.

Thinking about it, they were about to discuss four years of their lives at the same place she once insisted on choosing him. Maybe it was the perfect place. 

"I left because SH Venture Capital decided to expand over Europe" Ji-pyeong answered with his interview tone making her mad

"Stop," she pleaded, with an open hand cutting Ji-pyeong before he considered continuing, "Don't lie to me. Not you. Not again," Dal-mi asked with pain in her eyes, remembering his lies in the past with a tight heart.

Swallowing with difficulty, Ji-pyeong thought about what it meant to be completely honest over their issues. Keeping everything suppressed for so long made the pain transform into a permanent discomfort, just like a neglected injury. 

As a person who had nothing most of his life and as an adventurous investor, Ji-pyeong knew when he had nothing to lose before making a choice. Unfortunately, or maybe for his luck, he had nothing to lose with being honest here.

Once upon a time, Ji-pyeong promised himself to never lie to her. The least he could do was honour his past self decisions, despite all the heartbreak and pain.

"I went away because Haelmoni's last wish for me was to do so."

"What?" Dal-mi asked, astonished by this kept information. "Do you want me to believe that she sent you away on her deathbed?"

"You don't need to believe me, but I'm honest here." 

"Why would she even ask you that?" She questioned dumbfounded.

"Because she knew I could never move on if I stayed here." He explained himself, defending his choice and position but also honouring Haelmoni's memory. 

"And then you decided to leave without saying a word about it? Right when she died?" Dal-mi questioned, getting angrier by the second with his calm manner over this conversation.

Her declaration made Ji-pyeong unable to maintain his relaxed posture. The meaning beside Dal-mi's words being the first punch over his face.

Before leaving for Europe, Ji-pyeong wrote a letter, one signed with his name for the first time. A letter where he opened his heart for the last time before leaving. 

In this said letter, he explained why he was going away and repeatedly exposed himself to her before vanishing from Dal-mi and her family.

Despite not leaving any contact information, he thought for many months that she hadn't reached out to him out of choice. Having found the letter at some point, maybe Dal-mi decided that it was enough of closure and moved on with her life.

However, her accusation meant she hadn't thought about visiting the bird box once in all these years. Ji-pyeong should have been prepared for the hit, but the strength of this one was enough to start cracking his shield.

"I left you a letter on the bird box, you know?" Ji-pyeong confessed, with a hoarse tone and hurt all over his face. "Of course, you haven't gone there. Why should I expect something different, after all?" He said more to himself than to her years, sarcasm dripping from his words like pure venom.

Wait. What? 

Did he leave her a letter? A real one? Signed with his name and all? 

It seemed like Sa-ha was right after all. Dal-mi was clueless. 

The thought of visiting the bird box hasn't crossed her mind in all these years. Mostly because she spent so much time focused on Do-san, and then the company, everything else fading to the background.

Dal-mi's heart was balancing hope and shame in the same structure. She was happy that he actually wrote something before going away, but how petty of her to ignore their past so quickly. 

"I didn't know about that." She said with a tiny voice, part of her fire getting blown by his declaration. 

"Of course, you didn't know about that, Dal-mi. Did you forget that you threw our history away over a guy you knew for less than six months?" Ji-pyeong questioned, debunked, all fire, anger, and desolation now. 

"What do you mean with our history?" She fired back, angry with him for saying they had a history when not once they had discussed anything of their past. "You couldn't discuss the letters with me at all, always evading the subject and pretending that it never happened." Dal-mi fired right back at his face, elevating her voice and gesturing madly.

"What good would it do to discuss this?" He asked, taking a step closer to her with angry reddening his vision at each passing second. "Would it have changed your choice? Would you have started to see me, the real me, even if you don't see it now, after all that happened?" 

His accusation hit where it hurt on Dal-mi. Did he spend four years hiding all these words and feelings? Has she really not seen how he was suffering in silence? Could someone even be this insensitive?

"How can I see someone who doesn't let anyone in?" Dal-mi retorted, trying to hurt him back and stopping Ji-pyeong dead on his steps. 

She felt suffocated like someone had positioned a giant weight over her chest. Dal-mi's closed box was nothing compared to all he had to say. All that he felt alone. 

"As if you even tried, Dal-mi," Ji-pyeong said, holding her responsible for the choices she made for the first time. "All you could see was that stupid boy. Even when he beat me up over the most childish discussion I had in my life, you kept seeing me as your tutor, not a friend. Not a man." He pointed out smartly, bringing back an episode from their past that it was hard to get over. 

Despite her sweet words to him on that day, eating noodles on some street joint, Dal-mi was able to ignore his pained expression. And that hurt a lot more than Do-san's weak ass punches. 

"We are not discussing him." Dal-mi tried and failed to set some boundaries to their conversation, finding it truly hard not to start crying in front of Ji-pyeong.

"Yes, we are. Since now we are opening wounds left and right I want to know something." Ji-pyeong said, dispensing her request.

He was tired of circling this subject. Even though seeing Dal-mi's glassy eyes and trembling lips made Ji-pyeong's heart ache profoundly, he needed to know. He needed to end this once and for all. 

Ji-pyeong feared he would never be able to love someone else entirely. Late at night, when he observed his lovers sleeping, a pile of legs and loose limbs intertwined with him, Ji-pyeong felt like a failure, an impostor trying to have a happy ending he never deserved in the first place. 

"Why did you choose him?" Ji-pyeong started to say, opening the doors to one of his worst life experiences, coming right after becoming an orphan and losing Haelmoni twice.

These were, after all, abandonment experiences that moulded him as Han Ji-pyeong. Losing to Do-san was way worse because losing the idea of something, the possibility, the what could have been, felt like hell. 

"Please don't make me explain this." She practically begged, unafraid to sound ridiculous or weak.

Dal-mi couldn't voice her feelings. Saying that she sometimes regretted this choice would kill her inside. Although Dal-mi felt humiliated, she could still protect a little of her pride.

"So tell me why it couldn't have been me?" Ji-pyeong said, voice ringing out loud and making the woman in front of him jump a little, scared of the full force he was coming at her.

"Was I not enough for you, Dal-mi?" He kept asking while moving his hands, eyes wide and a pained expression framing his face. "Was falling in love with the illusion of a person better than dealing with the broken version of who I was at the time?" 

"Don't say that." She asked, heart aching from seeing Ji-pyeong say things like that about himself. 

"So answer me," he demanded first. "Please" and begged after.

"It felt like the right thing to do at the time. I thought you were my past, and Do-san was my future. That's all I can say to explain." She vomited all the words in one breath, feeling sick to her stomach from all that conversation.

Her words were the second hit. A hit that again cracked Ji-pyeong's shield, making him feel exposed, raw, and lost. A hit that took him back to that stormy night, when he couldn't find a place to sleep or to fall over. 

Except, for this time, Haelmoni wasn't coming to his rescue. No one was coming, and he was alone all over again. 

The pain in his once kind eyes made Dal-mi lose control. One second she was frozen over her spot, and on the next one, she was babbling and walking frantically. 

"I'm truly sorry for being unable to be honest with you about my choice. I know now that keeping you close to me wasn't fair to you. It was a selfish action."

"You could have just said it," Ji-pyeong said, eyes on the floor and mind retreating to find some safe space to hide inside himself. "You could have just said it, and yet you chose never to give me a reason."

"I'm sorry," Dal-mi asked for his forgiveness in the tiniest voice when she saw him crying.

Listening to her tone, watching her flinch and shrink brought back all the anger on Ji-pyeong. The time for hiding and trying to disappear was over. If they didn't finish this story, he would only get sick of his mind again. 

So he decided to hit her back.

"I stayed by your side for almost four years before you decided that Do-san was your future." Ji-pyeong said, swallowing his tears and exhaling every ounce of suppressed feelings. "Not one day you were able to look into my eyes and be honest, even with me telling the truth at every step.”

“You said you were not waiting for an answer.” She tried to throw his own words back at him, just to, once again, evade her responsibility.

“And instead of showing me an ounce of respect and just telling me that we would never happen, so I could move on and move out of your way, you chose to keep me by your side like I was nothing but a nice distraction.” Ji-pyeong accused her, unafraid and unabashed now that everything was coming up. “Was I that bad of a person that you couldn't even look into my eyes and let me go? Was it good feeling needed and loved when all I wanted was to be loved back? Do you even know how it felt to be your plaything, Dal-mi?"

"You were not a plaything for me, so don't go putting words on my mouth." 

"I wouldn't dare to do it because you can't say the words yourself." Ji-pyeong fired back, long gone was the Good Boy. "It felt like the worst torture, that's the answer. You never said no. You never sent me away. You kept smiling at me, inviting me to your house and even covering me while I slept." He said, bringing back memories from Chuseok.

Listening to him, Dal-mi felt like pure shit. However, seeing him angry was better than seeing him cry. She could do angry but not crying and suffering right in front of her. 

Dal-mi knew she needed to listen to his feelings. Still, it was so hard to finally acknowledge that she was responsible for making him distressed. Listening to him say how she destroyed his self-esteem was the worst punishment. 

How could she have ruined this boy made of pure gold? How could she be so damn blind to his light and immaculate heart? 

"Every damn day of that almost four years, I looked at you to see if something has changed inside your heart. However, at the first opportunity, you chose him," Ji-pyeong said, feeling lighter at every sentence, but reviving the heavy emotions as well. "You chose to send our letters, my letters, on the trash like it was nothing, Dal-mi."

"It wasn't like that." Dal-mi tried to explain, feeling the warmth of the rolling tears on her face for the first time. "It was the choice that made sense for me at that time, everything I did was made from my best intentions, but I was blind to many things that today I see better." She said, weaving through words to avoid declaring her regrets so openly. 

"If only you had seen this earlier." Ji-pyeong declared with a heavy sigh, his pain from seeing her crying overwhelming the anger a little.

"Believe me, I think about this more than it's considered healthy," Dal-mi revealed, taking care with her words to not cross any lines with him. 

Solving their issues was hard enough. Adding her feelings over everything would drain any expiring energy. Dal-mi felt she needed to explain some things before getting emotionally done with this wicked conversation.

"My sister might have told you that Do-san is over Silicon Valley, managing our developer's team." Dal-mi started, paying attention to his reactions and getting very little. "We broke up almost one year and a half ago, and he went away so we could easily live our lives. Everything that happened made me see things from a different perspective, and I know now that this doesn't count as much, but I am truly sorry for all that I did to you. I hope you understand that I've been treating you wrong since we met earlier this week only because I was afraid of this conversation" she said, practically offering her heart to him with so much openness and honesty.

Ji-pyeong silence was the loudest noise she had ever heard. With eyes travelling through her face, the Good Boy, as Haelmoni used to call him, didn't offer much but a closed expression.

If Dal-mi expected something else, a reaction coming from romantic movies, she wouldn't find it there. And that was okay. After all, she didn't deserve it.

"I want us to get over this." She said, finally earning a surprised reaction from him, a flame of hope lighting up his insides. "So we can work on making our companies thrive together and..."

"Dal-mi," he said, cutting her tailored speech and causing goosebumps to roll over Dal-mi's skin, his tone so deep and thrilling and exhausted as well "Do you know how hard it was for me to see you with him every damn time?" Ji-pyeong asked in a brusque manner, watching the flame inside him turn into nothing but ashes. 

"How could I know? You never communicated with me anyway," Dal-mi answered, shaken by his feelings but decided to stand her ground in this discussion for the first time.

"How was I supposed to communicate with you when you were living on cloud nine during the honeymoon phase of your relationship?" He retorted with anger coating every word "It was never my place to interfere, and you know it"

"It was your place to be my friend, and yet you flew on the first hour after Haelmoni's funeral." 

"I never promised to be your friend, Dal-mi," Ji-pyeong said, brushing his hand on his forehead, disheveling his hair in an attractive way that Dal-mi was for sure not noticing now.

"Are you serious right now?" She asked, outraged with his response, trying to focus on the discussion and not on his prettiness.

"After you found out about the letters, I promised never to lie to you again, and this is what I did," He explained himself to calm her down and end this nightmare of a conversation for once. "I told you I would try my best to be a supportive friend, and I did until it was too much." 

"And then you took the easiest way out and decided to move countries?" 

"Listen to yourself right now." Ji-pyeong said, dumbfounded by her naivety, voice loud and frantic "You weren't even seeing me, Dal-mi. Everything you did and saw was your torment of a boyfriend. It felt like you adopted this tunnel vision where only your relationship mattered, and there wasn't space for us... For me." He explained, correcting himself and trying to get control of his erratic heartbeats. 

"Couldn't you have tried to reach me?" She radically begged with a hurt tone, "I was dealing again with the same abandonment and pain I felt when my father died. I had to hold on to something stable, and Do-san was that person for me." Dal-mi fought back, talking about her grief for the first time in many years. 

"I could have been this person for you if only you saw me at the time," Ji-pyeong said honestly.

"Don't you get it? Losing her broke me." Dal-mi screamed, hitting her chest with an open hand, trying to ground herself while tears kept falling. 

"Dal-mi..." He started with a much softer voice, his hands itching to hold her and the anger now gone. 

"Now, you will listen," Dal-mi demanded, taking a step back when she felt he would get closer. "Do you know until this day I'm unable to sleep with my cellphone working? In the beginning, the trauma of receiving the call about Haelmoni's death made me take out the phone's battery. Do you know how hard it is to take them out from these modern phones? She asked, laughing with no fun in her voice.

"I must have broken at least four phones before being able to deal better with this." Dal-mi explained, feeling self-conscious with his concerned expression.

"Then it came to the nightmares, tormenting little things, stealing my sleep at night and leaving me malfunctioning during the day. I had to take sleeping pills for half a year to be able to sleep for more than two hours, and there's a bunch of other things that I was only able to deal with because I had help." She kept going, barely breathing between phrases, exposing so much of herself that Dal-mi's mind was almost blank now. 

"Dal-mi." He cried out, coming closer to her while she took another step back.

"Despite things not working out between us, if it wasn't for Do-san walking me through my grief. I would have gone mad, Ji-pyeong." She confessed, using his name for the first time in the worst scenario, but because it felt right doing so.

God, he just wanted to hug her. Seeing his fierce and witted Dal-mi looking all broken made Ji-pyeong a little crazy. 

His, because Dal-mi could never belong to someone else on his mind. His, because they could never pretend this fire between them didn't exist. 

This chemistry, a natural pull bringing them together even after almost a decade, was more potent than all anger and resentment. At least Ji-pyeong hoped so.

And if, in the end, Ji-pyeong didn't get the girl again, at least he would feel lighter from saying he was sorry. And if he never fully loved someone else for the rest of his life, at least he would have his memories. 

"I am, too, truly sorry." Ji-pyeong said, respecting her space and silently revelling in the sensation of listening Dal-mi call him informally "I couldn't reach myself at that time. Everything went upside down again after she went away, and I needed to take a step back to sort things out." 

"We could have gone through this together, and you know it." Dal-mi pointed out, feeling calmer now that everything seemed to be over the table.

"I do know it now, but I was never the type to rely on people or even discuss my feelings. I had nobody during most of my life, and losing Haelmoni made me feel completely lost," Ji-pyeong explained, his eyes glassy with buried tears and unsolved emotions. "I had to go away to get over everything and reunite my pieces."

Looking at his pained expression made her heart hurt so much that even breathing was hard. How could she not have seen him for who he was earlier? How could she not have realized that they have this profound and meaningful connection lingering in every word, every conservation?

"And did you?" She asked, voice low and a soft tone making caresses over Ji-pyeong injured heart and soul.

"What?" Ji-pyeong said, looking into her eyes and seeing a sea of real emotions and unsaid words for the first time. 

Finally, Dal-mi was opening up to him.

Finally, they were opening up to each other. 

"Get over everything?" Dal-mi questioned, at last, voicing in these three words a doubt which the answer could very easily define their future.

Ji-pyeong was surprised by her question, but he wasn't stupid to ignore what Dal-mi was genuinely asking. Looking into her eyes, seeing her open and vulnerable for the first time after many years made him equally nervous and amazed. 

She still was, after all these years, the most beautiful thing he never had. 

Ji-pyeong knew right there what was the answer to her question, but voicing it meant to put himself in the spotlight, to be vulnerable and open and sensible, something he was very much afraid of when it came to her. The thing is, he couldn't lie to her, not anymore, not even if he tried hard to do so. 

"I didn't." He answered simply, hoping she would be smart enough to get his message because right now, after that stressful conversation, he wasn't capable of making the proper declaration she deserved. 

"Okay," Dal-mi said, afraid to create any misinterpretation if she kept silent. 

"Look, this won't get us anywhere but farther away, and I don't think we can drift apart even more," Ji-pyeong said, feeling tired while brushing a hand over his puffy face. "I better get going" he announced and turned to walk towards the door, but also to hide the fresh tears.

Being honest and showing their cards wouldn't change anything between them. There she was, watching Ji-pyeong walking away, and all Dal-mi felt was raw desperation. 

She couldn't see him leaving again.

"Yes, leave again." Dal-mi cried out, fearing he had gotten his closure and was now ending things with her. 

She honestly didn't care about all that professional conversation. Right now, Dal-mi was scared shitless. Seeing him go away brought all the fear right back to her heart. Thoughts racing through her mind as to what she could say to keep Ji-pyeong there, her stupid tongue ended going with the worst option:

"You seem to be pretty good at leaving."

Before the words went out of Dal-mi's lips, she regretted saying it, but it was too late now.

Her words made him stop, frozen in place. A wave of anger so thick and ugly that he felt like combusting suddenly. A pain so deep that Ji-pyeong felt like she was burying a knife on his back, any shield forgotten now.

"You don't get it." He said in a weak voice, body trembling from head to toe.

Before she could think about answering, Ji-pyeong was all over her personal space. Eyes burning deep, painting his irises on the darkest tone, gone were the kind eyes now. 

His erratic breath and slightly open mouth felt like the worst sin, but it was his scent all over Dal-mi's system that made her legs tremble. She could smell him everywhere, her senses being overwhelmed by Ji-pyeong's wide-ranging presence. 

"You left me." He barked over her face with angry tears escaping from his eyes, these three words breaking Dal-mi apart. 

Listening to him made Dal-mi desire to kiss every tear marking his face. Saying she was sorry was not enough then, and now it was just a useless set of words put together. 

She wanted to hug him until every pain disappeared. Until their body and soul became one thing in nature. 

Dal-mi could deal with his anger, but his sadness would drive her mad. Dealing with his sadness meant being honest with her feelings, and she was not ready for this yet.

Eyes drifting over his sharpened and delicious expression, she decided to follow a new path. One she had learned as a woman. A fickle path that could easily ignite a devastating fire between them, but a better road to go than this enormous wave of pain.

"And yet, here we are. What will you do about it now?" She asked without overthinking about the malicious meaning of her words, thoughts scattered over the craving for just a small bite of his pent-up energy inebriating her soul. 

"Don't you see what you do to me?" He questioned, taking her hand abruptly and placing over his broken heart, beating fast and frantically. 

His action brought them abruptly closer. Ji-pyeong's hands covered hers entirely, his palm warming Dal-mi to the core, transforming the CEO into a messy pile of unreleased emotions. 

"Don't you see what missing you did to my head? I feel intoxicated and sick and abstinent all at the same time."

"Ji-pyeong..." she begged on a voice that belonged to someone else entirely, carrying a craving she didn't recognize at all.

"Don't you know that you, with your forsaken mouth and brilliant mind, drive me mad?" He roared, getting closer to Dal-mi's face and breathing her in, this close from devouring her entirely.

"I didn't mean to make you angrier." Dal-mi lied, afraid of the consequences now that she saw a whole different side of him. A side that she equally feared and undoubtedly worshipped now.

"You don't know." Ji-pyeong noted, invading her personal space even more, now a breath away from her lips, still holding her hand. "But you will learn it." He promised, lips hovering over hers for a second before he turned and left without looking back. 

Falling on the floor, a pile of messy hair and trembling hands, Dal-mi felt relieved and terrified. Touching her lips ever so slowly, still able to smell his scent around her, she could only wonder what she had got herself into. 

Had she sold her soul to Ji-pyeong?

**xx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its the yearning for me, its the sexual tension as well 
> 
> hiiiiiiii guys, thank you so much for reading it. i hoped yall like it and lemme say something: next chapter is all abt flirty ji-pyeong so brace yourselves
> 
> as always, hit me up on the comment section and over stan twt (@chancekai) 
> 
> YALL IM NOT PAYING ANYONE'S THERAPY BILLS BYEEEEEEEE


	6. a lesson on payback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when Ji-pyeong decides to get his revenge by tormenting Dal-mi at every chance.
> 
> Or the one where we (finally) see flirty and handsy Ji-pyeong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys! celebrating that i now have more than 700 moots over stan twt because of this amazing story, today im bringing this chapter earlier.
> 
> WARNING: i had to change the rate because of this chapter but it felt SO GOOD writing it.
> 
> although many of us see kim seon ho as a baby, i tried to make han ji-pyeong's boss persona justice by writing him as this masculine force of nature lmao. have a good read guys <3

**xx**

Driving Dal-mi mad seemed to be Ji-pyeong's new business plan. 

After their catastrophic conversation, Ji-pyeong went straight home and drank his night away, trying to cope with the pain in the worst way possible. Still, it was the only solution he could think at the time. 

Despite having friends now, Ji-pyeong craved for his solitude when things got hard. Even Yeongsil couldn’t reach him during these hours. 

Having feverish dreams with Dal-mi haven't helped at all with his healing process. Waking up with the ghost of her touch spread over his body made the aftermath of the fight and the hungover an unyielding presence. 

He then decided to do what he did best as a former mentor: teach Dal-mi a lesson. 

Ji-pyeong never failed to deliver his promises. He was indeed going to show her what he had to endure all these years, but to do so, he had to be able to coexist with Dal-mi. 

So he called In-jae, and with sweet words convinced the CEO that he wanted to see Injae Company and Chunmyung Company developments. With no time, Dal-mi's older sister basically sold her out to guide Ji-pyeong in his research and studies. 

Well, her intention was not only to have him as an investor but as a member of her family as well. And if Dal-mi ended up swearing at her, so what? In-jae was used to it by now. 

Ji-pyeong was not using their business to achieve his goal. He had a genuine interest in investing in their companies, not only because of all the history he had with them, but also because they had become a profitable business. 

Being a self-made investor gave him the sharpest eyes for successful companies and using this for his own convenience wasn't a crime. 

As Ji-pyeong drove to Sandbox to start his day in a surprise meeting with Dal-mi, his phone rang, a call so soon would only come from one person. Looking at the car's panel with a smile he saw Ms. Yoon's name and with no time he answered. 

"Good morning Mr. Han Ji-pyeong." she said in her characterized cheerful tone.

"Good morning, Ms. Yoon. How are things going back at our European base?" Ji-pyeong questioned, his mind travelling back to work "I hope you are not getting too comfortable down there, though."

"Are you already missing your office? It is such a cosy one." Ms.Yoon joked while trying to assess his emotional state while being back to Korea. 

"Well, I haven't got the time to miss it yet." He laughed, oblivious to the second intentions of her call.

"I said that once when we agreed to switch during Christmas and I'll repeat now: you can always move back to Korea and train a team to take over our operations here." His boss said, a calm tone trying to convince Ji-pyeong of what was right. 

Four years ago, Ms. Yoon decided to send him away for Europe not only because Ji-pyeong was beyond qualified for the job, but also because she saw the pain consuming him daily. She knew for a personal experience that reuniting his pieces through work and focusing on a new mission would make him see things from a different perspective. 

When one of the Hackathon's CEOs killed himself years ago, Ms. Yoon saw herself in a very similar position, questioning her choices and what she once thought was right. Expanding SH Venture Capital over Asia was what helped her move on and get back on track, so doing the same with Ji-pyeong seemed to be the best option. 

Of course that when she saw Ji-pyeong thriving and being better, especially after forcing him into therapy, Ms. Yoon felt pride and joy, but also a concern. Seeing him trying to create roots in Europe meant he wasn't planning to deal with his problems in Korea, which would only make him regret. 

The switching idea was an insight she had after talking with Park Dong-Chung over the phone. Listening to the now Director crying about how he missed his family and being home during the holidays made Ms.Yoon think about an excuse to bring Ji-pyeong back before it was too late. 

Talking to In-jae and suggesting that she convinced Ji-pyeong to invest in their company wasn't a bad idea as well. Ms. Yoon could quickly force him to work with them, after all, she was his boss, but making things work smoothly would give her better results. 

Decades of working with business turned the woman into a little mastermind, something she was very proud of. 

"I will think about it." Ji-pyeong said over the phone after parking his car inside Sandbox, giving her a better answer than the one he used when Ms. Yoon suggested his return for the first time. 

"I'm glad to hear that." Ms. Yoon answered with a smile over her face "How are things going down there?"

"Ms. Yoon, is there something you would like to tell me?" Ji-pyeong asked, suspecting her intentions for the first time. 

"Me? Not at all." she said with laughter on her tone "Well, I guess you're pretty busy reuniting with Chungmyung's team, so I'll let you go now."

"How are you even aware of this again?" The investor questioned after stepping inside the elevator

"Mr. Han, it is my job to know things after all. Bye, now." Ms. Yoon said before hanging up and leaving a very confused and smiley Ji-pyeong on the other side of the line. 

**xx**

Dal-mi was sure she looked like a swollen racoon. 

Although she basically used a ton of Lancome's concealer to hide her crying face, nothing could take the dispirited expression out of Dal-mi's face.

She decided to dress nicely to at least try to take people's attention out of her face, opting for a beige suit that made her look like an expensive CEO. Joining Foodie's meeting yesterday looking all shades of blue was humiliating enough. 

"Good morning." Dal-mi said before throwing her body over the chair. 

"Did a wild animal attack your face?" Chul-san asked, laughing at her expression and receiving, once again, a kick from his girlfriend under the table. 

"Let me fix your face, please." Sa-ha offered with a kind smile and her make-up bag on hands.

"Finally someone is doing God's work." In-jae said entering the room and going straight to her angry-faced sister "I've scheduled a meeting with you right now, so please hurry up." 

"Are you messing with my schedule again?" Dal-mi said, irritated with In-jae's intrusion on her office and plans. 

"Technically saying I own your schedule." Her sister answered while Sa-ha tried to make Dal-mi look better. 

"Mr. Yong-san, do you know if a person can divorce from her older sister?" Dal-mi asked with closed eyes while her friend handled the mascara. 

"I don't think so, Ms. Seo" he answered with a funny face, chewing a liquorice candy with one hand and programming with the other one. 

"Now you look more like a person." Sa-ha said, offering her best friend a sweet smile after ending the make-up.

"Great, now get going. Come on." In-jae ordered all excited and smiley, pushing Dal-mi's chair to the door

"Why are you all smiley? Please don't smile, it's freaking me out." Dal-mi questioned investigating her sister's face. "And you don't look pretty doing this at all."

"Shush and get going before I finally fill your dismissal form." In-jae announced between gritted teeth "This is important so don't ruin it." 

Before Dal-mi could ask her what she meant, In-jae closed the door on her face, basically throwing her sister away. And the fact that it was Dal-mi’s office door on top of it made it even worse. 

Breathing in and out as an exercise to avoid going and messing up In-jae's car just to teach her lesson, Dal-mi decided to walk towards the meeting room. Looking at her daily schedule over the phone, Dal-mi felt an awkward sensation taking place at her stomach.

There was a missing information regarding who she was meeting. Why did this feel like a trap?

Her assistant wouldn't be this sloppy, but In-jae would. Especially if she had a reason for it. 

Dal-mi's distraction while opening the meeting's room door made she bump again into a hard and warm body. Her action of saying she was sorry for the person holding her shoulders was interrupted once her brain processed it was actually Ji-pyeong. 

Ji-pyeong, with a perfect hair and perfect smile,  lavishly  dressed in a grey suit she saw once in a magazine photoshoot. Ji-pyeong, looking all shades of delicious with his dimple exposed and eyes shining bright, his wonderful scent embracing her once again. 

God, she was about to faint because of his hands holding her in place. Dal-mi swore she could feel the heat he was emanating inside every body cell, heart beating faster than ever. 

"We keep seeing each other like this, huh?" Ji-pyeong asked, eyes travelling ever so slowly over her face, searing where it touched and staying a second more than necessary at her pink lips slightly opened. 

Jesus, what was happening? 

Apparently, Dal-mi would literally call upon every deity because of this guy. 

"What are you doing here?" She asked after recomposing herself and trying to focus on something else beyond his gorgeous face. 

"Oh, I am your morning meeting. Didn't In-jae tell you?" Ji-pyeong announced, all innocence now as if he hadn't planned everything earlier. 

"No she didn't." Dal-mi said, thinking out loud and realizing Ji-pyeong was still touching her. Holding her in place with an uncanny pressure of his hands on her shoulders. 

Someone was getting her car messed up after all. Dal-mi only needed to survive this meeting without having a heart attack. 

"Should we sit and talk then?" Ji-pyeong asked, opening the door and offering Dal-mi space to enter, his hands leaving her body and making Dal-mi realize how weak her knees seemed to be. 

"Why is this meeting happening again?" She questioned with suspicious eyes before entering the room, seeing that other people looked too much at their exchange in the hallway. 

"I want to know what you've been up to these four years." Ji-pyeong answered simply, disregarding the ambiguity of his phrase "With Chunmyung Company, of course." He completed, smiling devilishly and tipping the head to the side in an adorable way. 

Had he forgotten all the screaming and ugly crying of yesterday? Was this his way of saying everything was fine, by using her company? Could he plot some twisted way to make his words come true? 

These and many other questions came to her mind. At the same time, she looked at Ji-pyeong, pulling a chair so she could sit and making sure the air conditioner temperature was comfortable, just like he did once in the past. Seeing him all gentlemanly and sweet made she think about his threat disguised as a promise yesterday. 

_ You will learn it _ . He said with such an intensity that Dal-mi lost her strength and collapsed to the floor.

As if this short sentence hadn't robbed Dal-mi of her sleep last night, Ji-pyeong now intended to rob her days as well? What did his threat even mean? 

Trying to regain her balance for the third time in less than an hour, Dal-mi chose to be professional. She sat on the chair he pulled out for her without showing any emotion, game face on disguising the whirlwind of thoughts shaking her mind. 

"Chungmyung Company turned into Korea's must watch business after our Smart City project for Suwon came through successfully." Dal-mi started, opening her tablet to show images or their project.

Watching her all serious made Ji-pyeong smile. Dal-mi sounded and moved like a professional, totally comfortable in her own skin and position, long gone was the insecure girl playing CEO. 

Noticing that she had positioned her chair away from him on purpose, Ji-pyeong laughed to himself and dragged Dal-mi's chair close so that they were practically glued to each other. Throwing his free arm over her chair's back, Ji-pyeong doubled into Dal-mi’s personal space, feigning interest in what she was showing. 

"What are you doing?" Dal-mi asked in a tiny voice, trying to breathe only through her mouth to avoid getting intoxicated by his presence once again.

"Well, Dal-mi." He said, purposely blowing the words in her face. "I'm watching your interesting presentation, of course. Why, are you having trouble focusing?" Ji-pyeong asked, the world's most sinful smile illuminating his face. 

Why was her heart beating so fast? 

Could a woman die of a heart attack at such a young age? 

Blinking repeatedly, Dal-mi focused on her presentations, trying and failing to find the right words. Passing to the next screen, she read the comments and kept going, hands trembling a little now. 

"Yes so… After our Smart City project went through we received a pile of demands for new AI technologies similar to the ones we used on Suwon." 

Ji-pyeong was trying so hard not to laugh. Seeing her unstructured, a nervous wreck with shaking hands and distressed eyes had just become his new favourite pastime. Adding a little more tension to the scenario, Ji-pyeong gently placed the lock falling on Dal-mi's face behind her ear, hands stretching near the woman's neck for a few seconds. 

"Sorry, I can't see your pretty face when you have your hair like that." He explained with a severe expression, trying to control himself after feeling the soft texture of her hair, the scent of her shampoo making him a little dizzy. 

Dal-mi was frozen in place. Goosebumps rolled over her skin like her body was opening up entirely to his touch, presence and existence. She felt a numbness spreading through her hands and toes, the previous tension reaching an unbearable level now.

They were so close that the smallest movement could make them breathe the same air. 

Dal-mi deadpanned, her mind becoming a blank space where only Ji-pyeong seemed to exist. Her senses were aware of his every move, eyes drinking him in and hands trembling from the need to touch him. 

"Would you like to have lunch with me?" He asked then, getting his eyes up from her mouth and swallowing with difficulty. "You can send me this presentation and I'll look up until then so we can discuss it."

"Okay." Dal-mi answered, entirely gone for this boy.

Ji-pyeong could ask her to sell the company right now, and she would do it. He could demand her soul, and she would deliver it in no time, her heart already in his hands. 

At this point, she only hoped he would treat it right. 

**xx**

Lunch was a nightmare, as expected. 

Ji-pyeong took her to eat noodles, of course. She didn't fail to notice he took her to eat  _ kook soo _ , a type of lamen consumed to celebrate weddings all over Korea. 

In the crowded restaurant, all she could see was Ji-pyeong. Him, mixing her noodles with smart eyes and a wicked smile. Him, invading her personal space at every opportunity. 

It started when Ji-pyeong decided to clean her mouth, where the sauce had opted to stay conveniently for him. And then there was an eyelash over her eyes, and he actually made her blow away and make a wish. Afterwards, it was a hair over her suit, and of course Ji-pyeong crossed the table to pick it, fingers hovering over her throat while he did everything in slow motion. 

She wished to disappear before combusting into pieces because of this vile man and his sinful looks. 

They didn't discuss shit about business, Ji-pyeong only said so to have an excuse to take Dal-mi out of the office for a while. Whenever Dal-mi tried to start talking about Chungmyung Company, always when she was distressed, Ji-pyeong used the opportunity to deliver little touches and heated stares, burning her inside out every damn time. 

It was like a game for him, really.

On their way back to Sandbox, Ji-pyeong made sure to keep his hand closer to her all the time. Hands hovering over her back, fingers threading through the ends of her hair ever so softly when he thought she wasn't seeing. 

But Dal-mi was seeing. Feeling everything down to her soul. She was overwhelmed by his presence, her body awake and alert since their meeting earlier. 

Whenever he touched her, Dal-mi felt her heart racing again. She was actually considering buying some blood pressure medicine to survive the day because it was becoming too much. 

Dal-mi wasn't stupid, well, at least not anymore. She realized his plan between his fifth appropriation of her personal space and the tenth unexpected touch. 

Ji-pyeong was trying to drive her mad on purpose. And he was succeeding once again to deliver his plan. 

Reaching the office felt like God's blessing, finally an opportunity to avoid this unholy man making her hormones levels go frantic over small gestures. Before Dal-mi could say goodbye and power walk the rest of the day, In-jae appeared in the corridor looking for her. 

It seems like the Devil had won once again, this time delivering his disturbing daughter to mess with Dal-mi. 

Breathing deeply, Dal-mi looked around for ways to run. However, Ji-pyeong seemed to be covering every alternative. Well, ahead it was then. 

"We have a problem." In-jae said, smiling too much for someone announcing bad news. "Foodie's investors are demanding to see our latest updates profits before renewing their contracts."

"What?" Dal-mi asked, equally surprised and annoyed.

"I need you to stay here later today so you can finish reviewing the reports before we send them." In-jae demanded.

"Of course you do." Dal-mi snorted and rolled her eyes. 

"Oh, no. This is unfortunate." Ji-pyeong announced with such a fake tone Dal-mi wished to strangle him, in a non-sexual way, of course. 

"If only he had great investors like you on board, Mr.Han" In-jae said, all innocence and sweet eyes to the man, making her sister dream with ripping said eyes out for a second. "I asked Sa-ha to help you, but she has plans with Chul-san today."

"What if I have plans?" Dal-mi questioned, dumbfounded by her sister's actions. 

In-jae then laughed out loud. Body doubling, head going back and all that. 

"You're so funny, little sister." In-jae said, wiping tears at the corners of her eyes.

"I can help you." Ji-pyeong announced, making Dal-mi physically cringe while her sister smiled brightly. 

They were this close to roll over on the floor. If In-jae kept all sweet and docile with Ji-pyeong, bad things were about to happen. Dal-mi already saw red and her sister wasn't helping at all. 

"Perfect, Mr. Han." In-jae cheered, squeezing his forearm out of nowhere. "Get it done." she finished their conversation before smiling too politely to Mr. Han and leaving, thankfully before Dal-mi decided to fly over her neck. 

"Are you okay?" Ji-pyeong asked after noticing a vein popping on Dal-mi slender and soft neck. 

You know what they said: it takes two to tango. And Dal-mi was an expert dancer in her past life, she was sure of it. 

Looking at him with fire in her eyes, Dal-mi traced her next action. After all, two people could play Ji-pyeong's little game. 

"You can't go into the office looking like this." Dal-mi announced, ignoring that Ji-pyeong already looked immaculate and stunning. 

Before he could say something, Dal-mi took a long step into his personal space. Raising trembling hands to his tie, she proceeded to fix it, fingers hovering knowingly over Ji-pyeong's throat. 

Their height difference made Dal-mi stay so close to his mouth that if Ji-pyeong moved a little, they would be doing something very unprofessional on Sandbox's hallway during business hours. Both of them seemed aware of this fact, doing their best to feign innocence. 

His Adam's apple moving as he swallowed hard was the only sign of his surprise. Ji-pyeong simulated a calm expression while his hands tingled to touch the woman treating him so softly. 

"How do I look now?" Ji-pyeong asked, staring profoundly at her, aware that he looked like a famished man now. 

"Perfect."  _ Delicious. Luscious. Inviting, _ Dal-mi thought, getting lost in his eyes at each passing second. 

"Is there something else you can do for me, Dal-mi?" He asked once again, his voice an extensive sound, making the woman weak at her knees. 

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she fired back, head tumbling to the side and eyes travelling leisurely to his ungodly mouth. 

Satisfied with his dark pupils and short breath, Dal-mi turned and sauntered to the office, making sure to sway a little and touch her hair in the process. Entering the room with the biggest smile on her face, Dal-mi ignored Sa-ha's pointed look. 

"What's happening?" Her best friend asked, stopping short on the action of picking up her things to go home with Chul-san. 

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" Dal-mi questioned, seeing that everyone was leaving at three pm. 

"In-jae released us earlier so you could focus on Foodie's reports." Yong-san said while dressing his suit. 

Someone was not seeing the sun coming up tomorrow. Becoming a single daughter was Dal-mi's dream for a long time, so she was used to the idea now. 

"Have a great night, Ms. Seo." Chul-san said, opening the door to leave, allowing Ji-pyeong to enter the now vacant office. 

Sa-ha stopped dead on her tracks, looking between her best friend and the gorgeous investor. The wicked smile spreading on the designers lips signaled that Dal-mi wasn't living a second of tomorrow before talking to her about this situation. 

"A very great night indeed." Sa-ha said before leaving, smiling gloatingly to her boss before closing the door. 

"Should we get to work?" Ji-pyeong asked, noticing Sa-ha suggestive looks to Dal-mi and feeling very satisfied with it. 

Ji-pyeong looked all degrees of luscious. Hands on his pockets and now suitless, his forearms showing after folding his social shirt a few times. Flawless hair and blazing eyes looking straight to her soul. 

"Yes, work." she said, swallowing hard, utterly aware that she was losing their little game. 

The truth was out in the open now. She had no chance against him. 

**xx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YES DAL-MI BEING GONE FOR HIM SUCH AS WE ARE!
> 
> next chapter I'm finally giving yall something you've been wishing for 👀 i was giving in this one but the chapter got HUGE so there's that 
> 
> as always: hit me up on @chancekai over stan twt or in the comment section, im here for yall reactions to this


	7. drinking in sunlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when decide to be open about their feelings while working extra hours. 
> 
> Or the one where I finally give my readers what they've been asking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello guys! first of all i want to thank yall for reading my story, this is my first fanfic written in english and its been an amazing journey so far, you guys are literally the best.
> 
> another information: because of the changes on the story we are now having ten chapters, the last one being an amazing epilogue i cant wait to write and share with you guys
> 
> so, in this chapter i gave yall what you've been asking and lemme say: i think i actually made a great job. with that being said, have a great reading and i see you at the end of the chapter.

**xx**

"This isn't working." Dal-mi said, frustrated after doing the same operation twice.

They were now four hours in the worst assignment ever, the sun long gone outside the office. Turning a bunch of data and research into beautified graphics and convincing words was hard enough without the pressure of having investors second-guessing the company. 

Dal-mi was stressed and tired, her mind working badly after long minutes forcing the numbers to make sense. This was too important for her to mess up.

Foodie was Dal-mi's link to her father. Turning his business plan into reality was one of the greatest joys of working in this field.

Losing Foodie meant losing the connection to her father, and she had lost enough already. 

"Can I?" Ji-pyeong offered to try, seeing how distressed she was. 

Her weak nod made him go for her pen, despite having a million other ones available on the table. Caressing her hand in the process, Ji-pyeong did his best to make Dal-mi relax a little. 

"You are just looking at it…" he started to say, scrambling numbers over the paper while consulting the available information on the computer screen "in the wrong perspective." Ji-pyeong finished by circling the number they were looking for and smiling at her. 

Working with him felt so familiar and comfortable that Dal-mi could easily pretend they were doing this for years now, not hours. Ji-pyeong was there at every step, helping her when needed and provoking the CEO with questions to sharpen Foodie's reports. 

She would sometimes stop working and openly stare at him. Watching Ji-pyeong turn impossible numbers into comprehensible data and revising what she had written made Dal-mi remember their Hackathon's days. Days when he still felt like a stranger to her. 

Since that time, Dal-mi was the accelerator, and he was the brakes, conducting her ideas to the right place.

Reminiscing made her heart ache because it meant remembering all the signs she chose to ignore. All the acts of love, the small gestures, and constant presence around Dal-mi. From when Ji-pyeong instinctively protected her head while she entered his car to the day he kept others from seeing her crying, everything with Ji-pyeong was about giving love and wanting nothing in return. 

Looking at him writing and helping her felt like one of these actions. Ji-pyeong's caring and attentive eyes making Dal-mi wish to be the person giving love to him. 

"Why are you looking at me like this?" He asked, head in hands and eyes entirely focused on her now. 

"I think I never said thank you for everything you did to help me." Dal-mi said, heart open and unafraid to be honest with him. "Thank you." 

Dal-mi's words hit Ji-pyeong where it hurts, the affection in her tone working as a balm on the wounds and insecurities he still carried. There were many issues to work on if Ji-pyeong wanted things between them to work out, but he was willing to walk every damn mile for Dal-mi. For this woman, he would do everything. 

Ji-pyeong only hoped she could say the same thing. 

"Why are you blushing?" she asked, laughing and turning her attention to the screen. 

"I'm amazed by you." Ji-pyeong confessed, placing his arm over the table to support his head while looking at her working, lovey eyes shining bright. 

Dal-mi blushed too, smiling a little while tapping the keyboard. They would be able to go home after she transcripted their pile of papers, math operations, and scrambles into something that made sense. Because she was afraid to break their atmosphere and say goodbye, Dal-mi typed in the world's slowest rhythm, faking exhaustion as the reason behind the time she was wasting. 

Ji-pyeong saw what she was doing, but in the end, he didn't really care. He was truly amazed by this woman, and nothing else seemed to matter now that they were coexisting together. 

Observing her, this amazing person with a brilliant mind, was enough for him. More than Ji-pyeong could ever dream for. 

"Give me your hand." He demanded, earning a distrustful look from her. "What, you don't trust me?"

_If only he knew,_ Dal-mi thought with an affectionate smile on her lips before answering his request willingly. 

With a smart smile on his lips, Ji-pyeong started massaging the given hand while Dal-mi worked her way through the files. His fingers progressing pressure sent waves of pleasure and calm rolling along Dal-mi's entire being, making her equally relaxed and utterly aware of his abilities. 

When had Ji-pyeong become such a player? 

"I'm having trouble…" Dal-mi started to say, forcing her mind to think about something else than Ji-pyeong's fingers threading with hers ever so softly.

"Focusing?" He asked, a wicked smile brightening his face and almost breaking Dal-mi's resolve. 

"Going through the ending chapter." she proceeded to explain, eyes rolling out of faked annoyance. "It's the one where we explain our reasons for the updates."

"I have an idea." Ji-pyeong said before delivering a peck on Dal-mi's wrist and getting up, leaving a shocked woman staring at his back. 

Ji-pyeong walked to Chul-san's table, picking up the gadget Dal-mi once used to convince him that Noon Gil was a good idea, the one that lighted up based on a person's reactions and feelings. It was stupid then, and it felt even more stupid now, but he placed one in Dal-mi's finger in an attempt to make her think a little while having fun. 

"Really?" She asked, laughing and flexing the finger holding the prototype.

"Yes, really Ms. Seo," Ji-pyeong confirmed, turning their chairs so they would stare at each other, knees slightly touching in the process. "So tell me now, Ms. Seo. I happen to be a great investor, some might say Korea's greatest pride." He continued, earning a genuine laugh that warmed his heart. 

"Is truly an honour to be in your presence, Mr. Han." Dal-mi answered, playing along with his little game. 

Simultaneously, Ji-pyeong prepared his phone to start recording her words, making it easier to transform the speech into words later. 

"Why did your forsaken Company decided to update Foodie's interface out of nowhere?" Ji-pyeong questioned, motioning his hand for her to start talking. "Now you explain to me as if I was one of your investors. The words you use that make this stupid thing light up are the ones you're writing down."

"Since when are you this mastermind of a person?" Dal-mi asked, the filter between her thoughts and her words long gone now. 

"Well, Ms. Seo, it seems that you're only noticing me now." Ji-pyeong retorted with his signature dimpled smile. 

It seemed so indeed. Dal-mi felt her walls coming down by the second, and it was such a strange feeling. 

Dal-mi couldn't avoid but trace parallels between what she was feeling now and how things were with Do-san. After all, their story was an important reference in her life, although it has ended. 

Back with her ex-boyfriend, Dal-mi always felt a need to look perfect, feeling embarrassed when he saw her in a distressed state. 

It was all about smiling prettily, always dressing on point, and never showing a sign of tiredness. There was always this undermining pressure to maintain a persona around Do-san. One that she knew now that overwhelmed him as well.

However, with Ji-pyeong, it was completely different. Dal-mi hasn't felt any pressure, expectations, or desperate need to look sharp all the time with him since the very beginning. 

Maybe because she hadn't thought of him as someone she could love back when they were still mentor and mentee. Maybe because he always made her comfortable no matter what. 

Thinking back at it and analyzing everything through new lenses made Dal-mi realize how, in such a short period of time, Ji-pyeong has seen the worst and the best of her. Despite being an extrovert, she valued intimacy too much to let any person enter her life. 

Still, Ji-pyeong had found his way in somehow, and it felt so… natural. 

"You need to stop giving me these looks." Ji-pyeong said, pointing the finger with the gadget to her face. 

"Why is that, Mr. Han?" Dal-mi asked, head slightly to the side while her mind processed what it meant to feel so familiar with him. 

"Well, Ms. Seo, we are in a business environment and your heated expressions are surely unprofessional." He answered in no time, matching her look with one of his own. "Please go on before I forget why we are here." Ji-pyeong ordered with a hand motion, a demanding tone making goosebumps travel rapidly over Dal-mi's skin. 

"We decided to update the app connecting it to NoonGil to, once again, allow people with disabilities to have autonomy when searching for what's best to eat around their location." Dal-mi explained with confidence and pride in her work, "Chungmyung Company's first mission is to make the world a better place for everyone, especially the ones who are marginalized and excluded from participating in the world's development." 

"Keep going, but try to add a little emotion to your words." Ji-pyeong requested, checking the record on the phone and looking attentively to the gadget in their fingers. 

"Foodie was created to be your gastronomic best friend, that one who always has a great recommendation to share. Thinking first and foremost in accessibility, in the financial and social way, Foodie targets different publics while trying to transform your meal into a full experience." Dal-mi proceeded in her speech, heart beating fast while talking about her father's dream "Why would an AI tech company decide to create a popular app? Foodie is the result of a man's dream, one who had eyes on the future and a visionary mind." Dal-mi kept talking, eyes a little glassy while remembering her father's lessons. 

"And why would this matter, Ms. Seo?" He asked, thoroughly consumed by this woman's mind. 

"Because he planted the seed that made Seo Dal-mi and her sister Seo In-jae, CEOs of Injae Company and Chunmyung Company, create this empire. Just like he did once, Foodie is an effort to plant the same seed in other people's hearts through what unites human beings in their families and relationships all over the world: a great meal, a warm plate and a smart price." 

"God, you're amazing." Ji-pyeong said, his gadget and eyes lighting up like a Christmas tree. 

They stared at each other in silence now, heart open and affection expressed entirely over their faces. When little tears escaped Dal-mi's eyes, Ji-pyeong didn't wait a second before going to her and cleaning them all, desiring only to kiss each one away. 

"Would you like to drink some water?" He asked in his deep and rich baritone voice, holding Dal-mi's face on his hands and looking deeply into her warm brown eyes. 

"Yes, please." Dal-mi said in a tiny voice while she drank him in slowly, resting her face, and her whole heart as well, in Ji-pyeong's hand. 

When he walked away towards the fridge, Dal-mi took a lungful of air to regain her balance. She haswas have never been so exposed and vulnerable as in this moment, but it felt right in her soul, and there was no going back now that Dal-mi have fully seen Ji-pyeong for who he was.

"Do you want to write this down today?" Ji-pyeong asked while Dal-mi stretched her body, having already logged off from the computer for today.

Ji-pyeong was asking mostly because he couldn't phantom saying goodbye to her, not after seeing Dal-mi open her heart and offer up so much of herself. Seeing Dal-mi as this driven CEO, moved not only by her work but also her beliefs, made him love her ardently. 

Yes, love. He couldn't pinpoint exactly when his adoration turned into this wholehearted love. Still, Ji-pyeong was already gone for her, having jumped from this cliff willingly. 

Even seeing her drinking water astonished Ji-pyeong. The motion of her throat swallowing the liquid, her petite hands trying to fix her hair, and the smart look she threw his away after drinking half the bottle made Ji-pyeong's heart ache once again. 

"I was thinking about that idea of investing in Chunmyung Company." Ji-pyeong started to say, walking slowly to her, like a predator reaching for its prey. 

"Oh, really?" Dal-mi asked honestly, her sister's request long gone from her mind now. 

Reaching her personal space, Ji-pyeong took a step closer, his hands untying Dal-mi's hair slowly. Threading his fingers through the woman's lock, Ji-pyeong eyes drifted over her face, so attentive and present that nothing could break their atmosphere.

"Yes, the company happens to have an astonishing CEO, a woman so bright that she could lit up our entire country, actually." Ji-pyeong said, tone rich with an adoration that made Dal-mi tremble all over. 

"I haven't heard about this woman, should I be jealous?" She questioned, feeling every lasting wall of hers coming down at each word he dropped at her feet. 

"Never." He continued, positioning Dal-mi's hair off her shoulder, so her neck was exposed to the chilly air. "You are the most beautiful thing my eyes have ever seen, Dal-mi. Every passing second I get to share with you makes my life this blazing, vivid and sparkling set of moments. It's like you stole the sun and decided to illuminate everything on your own accord." Ji-pyeong confessed, hands now on her shoulders in an effort to make the woman pay attention to him. 

As if she would ever pay attention to something else in this life. As if someone could make her heart so full of fire, a flame so rich that Dal-mi felt warm to her soul. 

"And would you invest in this light of yours?" Dal-mi asked, inching closer to his handsome face. 

"Seo Dal-mi." He said, using the same tone he adopted to declare his feelings for her over noodles in the past. "Investing in your company is thoroughly not enough for me," Ji-pyeong announced, hands traveling to her neck now, making the spreading goosebumps travel in full force over Dal-mi's body. 

"No?" Dal-mi questioned, eyes hovering between his heated eyes and luscious mouth.

"I want to invest in you. I want to invest in us and everything we will be." He affirmed with certainty, bringing her closer with an arm encircling the woman's waist.

"How can you be sure this light won't burn you?" Dal-mi provoked him, hands going up to his strong arms.

"For once in my life I'm glad to be profoundly unaware and ignorant." Ji-pyeong announced, seeing her blossoming with his touch. "Burn me, Seo Dal-mi. Please, burn me." He said, blazing eyes contemplating her open heart before, finally, closing the distance between them in a searing kiss. 

Kissing Ji-pyeong felt more overwhelming than Dal-mi could ever fantasize. Kissing him felt like sunlight's first touch over her skin after a harsh winter. Like water's freshness healing her scorched throat after a long run. Like the first gulp of air after a bottomless divea in the ocean. 

Kissing him felt like coming home, like sharing a table with loved ones and finally, finally being able to breathe again. 

Ji-pyeong's lips danced over hers as softly as his heart. His hands treating Dal-mi with all the care in the world. When she parted her lips, inviting him to deepen their kiss, Ji-pyeong almost cried out of relief, heart this close to exploding in his chest. 

Encircling her waist fully to keep Dal-mi close, Ji-pyeong placed his other hand in the back of her head, controlling their kiss in the most delicious way. Dal-mi was left to his control, her own hands embracing him, nails scraping the nape of his neck and playing with Ji-pyeong's soft hair. 

They kissed until there was no air left, not an atom of space between them. They kissed until the air-conditioned room became hot and suffocating. They kissed until their lips were red and swollen and bright. Seconds turned into minutes, not long enough for them. 

Looking into his caring eyes, Dal-mi knew then that there was no coming back. 

**xx**

Seo Dal-mi couldn't sleep, not even if her life was in line. 

Rolling over her bed for the tenth time, Dal-mi checked her phone, waiting for something. A message, a call, a social media notification to save her from losing her mind. Dressed in childish yet comfortable pajamas, she felt like a teenager all over again. 

After their searing kiss, Ji-pyeong decided it was time to get her home, doing his best to respect Dal-mi's space and time to process everything. Even though it was clear to him that being with Dal-mi was the only alternative, the man knew she needed to freak out a little before seeing it too. 

Stealing another toe-curling kiss before leaving, Ji-pyeong made sure she had everything covered. After asking a thousand times if Dal-mi needed anything and making sure she had his number saved, Ji-pyeong left with a bright smile on his face. 

So why was she losing her mind again? Because Dal-mi was a complete pussy. 

Being confronted with the full force of Ji-pyeong's feelings made her feel lost and confused. Most of all, she was terrified of letting him in and failing in the process. 

There he was, offering his heart and soul to her, and all Dal-mi could do was second guess herself. Was she capable of reciprocating? Would she treat him as he deserved? Could they work out together being persons with full schedules? 

Being this close to rip her hair out, the crazy woman decided to start moving. These questions were eating Dal-mi inside out. Being in the same position served only to make the unbearable burden suffocate her even further. 

There was only one place in the world that she could find real answers. And it was time to go back there after running away from it all these years. 

**xx**

Despite Christmas being a freezing time, the place around Haelmoni's former shop was still a beautiful sight to sore eyes. 

Driving there was a crazy decision, one she didn't regret making. Going back where it all started was the right thing to do if Dal-mi wanted to move forward. 

The now dried cherry blossom trees were coated with white snow, but if Dal-mi breathed in deeply enough, she could still feel their scent, taking her back to childhood memories with hot dogs on sticks. Most of all, the small bird box in front of Dal-mi took her back to one of the most challenging periods of her life, one where mysterious letters made her days better. 

Inside the box, a worn blue envelope held the answers to every question she could have.

Looking at it now, Dal-mi could only think about the letters and all it meant. All the history shared with the boy who had an injured soul and the best heart. All the feelings she released through her writing, opening her heart at every line, every word. 

She thought about his last letter twenty years ago. The one where he said that if they stayed together, being truthful to him as she was, it could have been possible to live love-filled days for the rest of his life.

Despite the place being dark and cold, Dal-mi was trembling for an entirely different reason. 

She took out the envelope with weak hands and a frantic heart. She finally decided to open it and read what Ji-pyeong said four years ago. 

_My dearest Dal-mi,_

_If you are reading this letter, I'm sorry to say that I left._

_I hope my words reach you in a better time, one where the pain of losing Haelmoni is not devouring you as it is doing with me as I write this line._

_Losing you after losing her wasn't my plan, but a needed measure for me to survive this unyielding agony making every step a violent hit against my heart._

_I am truly, profoundly, and utterly sorry for leaving like this. Right now, I only wish you could know how much I love you, how much I adore your existence altogether._

_How much it wrecks me to see you with him at every corner, even in my nightmares at night._

_Right now, I wish I get to see you in my most beautiful and magnificent dreams. I wonder if I'll get to keep you in them._

_If, by destiny misfortune, these words are reaching you in a hard time, let me at least try to make it better._

_Haelmoni loved you, wholeheartedly. Being your grandmother was one of her life's greatest joy. Seeing you fulfilling your destiny and doing greater things was her mission on this Earth, and how glad she must be watching you from Heaven now._

_Dal-mi, you might don't know this, but I was never a religious person. Having lost too much already and being abandoned in fate's hands, me and God are not very fond of each other. But I am wholly fond of you, and being able to share this short journey with you feels like a true miracle to me._

_I hope you find happiness in your life. Even if it is with him._

_Life doesn't seem to plan a happy ending for me. However, watching you thrive from afar is enough._

_Happiness doesn't seem to be participating in my future. Still, there was happiness in my past because of you, Seo Dal-mi._

_Eternally yours,  
_ _Han Ji-pyeong_

Dal-mi realized she was sobbing when the first tear painted the paper on her trembling hands. Finishing the letter with a pained gasp, she tried to breathe some air into her compressed lungs, failing in the process. 

Had he felt this on his own for four years? No one to hold him while he cried, no one to say things would be alright?

It was like a song she heard once: no one teaches you what to do when a good man hurts you, and you know you hurt him too. And right now, Dal-mi felt destroyed.

So when she listened to his voice calling her softly, Dal-mi thought it was her sick mind playing tricks. When her eyes zeroed on Ji-pyeong, cheeks reddened by the cold and disheveled black hair, it felt like finally losing her mind.

"Dal-mi, can we talk?" He asked, tears marking his handsome face, bloodshot desperate eyes staring right at Dal-mi's soul. 

**xx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HIIIIIIIIIII did you guys like it? lemme know over the comment sections and on stan twt (@chancekai) 
> 
> im not being able to answer everyone over ao3 and wattpad, but im doing my best over twitter <3
> 
> also, i have more than 800 moots now, how cool is that?????? 
> 
> because the story is such a success i decided to do something special when i reach 1000 followers over stan twitter: yes ladies and gentlemen, i will post bonus chapters with dal-mi's letters to ji-pyeong when they were away from each other. 
> 
> SO SHARE THIS STORY WITH YOUR JIDALER FRIENDS, HIT ME UP ON TWT AND LETS TALK!


	8. the path of future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when our favorite couple opens their hearts to each other in a real talk.
> 
> Or the one where they finally talk about the letters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys! sorry for a late update today, work and uni are eating my soul away lmao 
> 
> this chapter is all about communicating and domestic jidal, i hope you guys like it! without further ado: have a nice reading and i see you at the end of this update <3
> 
> ps: i would like to apologize in advance for the cliffhanger at the end, but it will all make sense in chapter nine
> 
> ps2: i think yall should follow yeongsil order on this chapter

**xx**

Dal-mi felt colder inside than the weather around her could ever be. 

Ji-pyeong stared at her openly. He was, once again, the figure of a perfect boy. With his disheveled black hair and fresh tears shining in his eyes, Ji-pyeong stood holding his chest cracked open, offering her everything she never dreamed of deserving in the first place. 

Tears streaked his face, heating where it touched and leaving an odd type of relief behind. Right now, Ji-pyeong felt equally desperate and grateful. 

Grateful because she, finally, saw his words. Desperate because he couldn't know where they were going now that his feelings were out in the open. 

"Dal-mi, please..." He pleaded, heart aching and skin frozen by the cool air. 

Before he could finish his sentence, Dal-mi threw her arms around Ji-pyeong. Molding her body to his form, she tried to cocoon his pain and absorb everything until Ji-pyeong could find peace. 

Hiding her face in his neck, Dal-mi opened cried when she felt his arms encircling her, the initial shock being overwhelmed by the unfeigned love Ji-pyeong felt for her. 

"I am so sorry, Ji-pyeong. I am so sorry." She kept repeating it, trying to tattoo her words and feelings deep in his heart. 

"It's okay, Dal-mi" Ji-pyeong answered, hands caressing her soft hair while she sobbed openly. 

"Can we please get somewhere else to talk?" Dal-mi begged after being able to talk without crying. 

"Can it please be a warm place?" Ji-pyeong questioned, smiling through his tears and making Dal-mi laugh a little. 

"Yes, please." She agreed, interlacing her fingers to him for the first time and kissing his frozen hands "Lead the way." 

Ji-pyeong entered the first coffee shop they could find open around the bird box place. Driven by the mind-blowing feel of Dal-mi's hands in his, he found a private table and asked for hot cocoas right away. 

Before Dal-mi could think about getting her hand back, Ji-pyeong held her palm between his and blew hot air into her fingers, trying to get them warm again. Bright eyes watching her every move, Ji-pyeong rejoiced in the opportunity to share such an intimate moment through a small gesture. 

"You will listen now, okay?" Dal-mi said in a hoarse voice caused by all the ugly crying.

Ji-pyeong only nodded while Dal-mi positioned herself in front of him, trying to have his attention. Little did she know that there was nothing in this world able to make him look away now. 

"I am truly sorry, just like you once were. It is entirely my fault being ignorant towards your feelings and emotions, causing all this unnecessary pain because I was once stupid and immature." Dal-mi started her speech, trying to use comprehensible words to leave no doubt in his mind.

"Dal-mi..." Ji-pyeong started to say, not wanting her to say things that could have been true, but that now belonged to the past.

"Ji-pyeong, I need to hear myself saying this, please let me continue." She said, interrupting his kind words and intertwining her fingers to his own. 

"Go on." He replied, completely ignoring the hot cocoa served by a waitress.

"I know now things that back then I could never phantom to understand, one of them being the fact that you are my starting point in this life." Dal-mi explained, thumbs caressing the palm of his hands lovingly,

"Because I hope to be your finishing line, I need you to understand how wrong I was, how utterly stupid and mindless as well. These decisions, the ones related to you, to what we could've been in the past, to all this horrid pain you suffered with, might be the ones I wholly regret in this life." She said, finally assuming her mistakes, going back on the immature words she said to him once.

Ji-pyeong felt relieved, being able to breathe properly after holding his breath for so long. Dal-mi opted for the right words to break every shield, every wall he kept up for two decades, finally allowing him to dream again. 

Thinking about a future with her meant Ji-pyeong could expect something from life, not only sorrow and abandonment.

"Where do you want to go from here?" He asked, just to be sure, only to hear her saying the words.

"Well, Mr. Han." she said, nails scraping his palms and a smart smile brightening her puffy yet beautiful face. "It seems that I like you very much, who would've thought?" Dal-mi asked, feigning a surprise face. 

"And where are these lovely feelings taking us too?" Ji-pyeong questioned, taking her hand and kissing each finger, eyes glued to Dal-mi's expressions. 

"Wherever we get to be together at the end of the day." She declared simply, feeling loved and cared for the first time in too long. 

"Then I guess it's time we talk about the letters." Ji-pyeong announced, getting her hot cocoa's mug to add marshmallows and blow some air to make it cooler for her to drink. 

At that, Dal-mi stuttered. She thought this conversation was never happening. However, opening this last box meant they could finally coexist on the same page. Talking about the letters meant that their past and future would turn into intertwined lines, one where his happy ending could turn into reality, despite all the odds.

"We don't have to talk about this if you don't want to." Dal-mi explained, heart warmed by his care over such a small thing like a mug of hot cocoa. 

"Oh, but I do want to talk about it. We should have done this when you learned the truth horribly." Ji-pyeong affirmed, finally allowing her to drink the now safe hot cocoa. "You said everything you needed to say, so let me tell you this: every word, every line, every drop of ink and raw emotion I dropped in these letters were the truth about my feelings at the time." 

Dal-mi couldn't phantom to say something at this moment. At last, she saw the image of the boy who once wrote letters for her and the man Ji-pyeong was coming together as one and the same.

"You already know that I am an orphan, abandoned in the streets once I got too old for the orphanage to feed. Some people might think this is a sob story, that this speech is my effort to get people's pity and pockets when the truth is nothing of sorts." Ji-pyeong explained, fingers pressuring Dal-mi's wrist and palm softly. "This is the story of how I survived and thrived despite the chances. There is no shame in being an unfortunate boy left to fend for himself, nowadays, there is only pride and joy, because I came this far and I'm going much further now." He said, pride in his words and shining eyes.

She felt it too, this overwhelming feeling of love and admiration for the man sitting across from her. Ji-pyeong was a successful story, not only a self-made investor but a self-made human being with the kindest of hearts.

"Your letters were a balm to my injured heart and soul, during a time I had no one but Haelmoni at my side. During a period of my life where there was no hope, only doing my best to survive each day." Ji-pyeong explained, "Even back then, meeting you and being this penpal of sorts felt like a blessing I never deserved. As a person who never felt blessed in his life, I tried my best to be the person you needed, but you ended up being more I could ever dream of." He said, holding her hand between his and kissing the center of Dal-mi's palm.

God, she was way past the point of liking him. 

Dal-mi was, as Sa-ha once joked to say, head over heels for this incredible and loving man. This devastating emotion controlling her mind, body, and soul couldn't be described as something different from love. 

Love. A four letters word that seemed to carry Dal-mi's entire existence. A simple noun capable of tracing back her past and defining their future together.

Watching him kissing her palm so lovingly after saying things she never knew she needed to listen to made Dal-mi want to scream her feelings until the whole damn world heard. Until she permanently lost her voice, her last words being a declaration to this bewildering human being looking right at her soul once again. 

Dal-mi bit her tongue until she felt a metallic taste spreading over her mouth, trying hard not to say the words inside a random coffee shop. She had fucked up enough already, and the least Dal-mi could do was deliver her feelings in a more romantic environment.

Little did her hopeless romantic mind know that Ji-pyeong would take her love in any form, intoxicating himself in every last bit of Dal-mi's emotions. 

"Thank you so much for saying this, Ji-pyeong. I hope you understand that my feelings are mutual and I'm glad that we are now on the same page, finally." Dal-mi said, hoping he would, once again, read between the lines and see what she was trying to say.

They spent the next minutes silently watching each other. Eyes carrying heated affection and a type of comprehension you can only find once in life if you are lucky enough to earn it. Hands constantly touching, fingers intertwined and playfully moving over their palms felt like they existed in a whole different dimension.

"Can we go home now?" Dal-mi asked, done with her hot cocoa and the coffee shop as well.

"Home?" Ji-pyeong asked with a devilish smile.

Ji-pyeong had one of his signature playful looks on his face. His fingers caressed Dal-mi's hands softly now, sending a wave of goosebumps and desire all over her body.

"Can we please go to your house now?" Dal-mi rephrased, trying to breathe calmly and failing badly, a vein popping frantically on her slender neck betraying her efforts. 

A wicked smile taking over his whole face now, Ji-pyeong simply raised his free hand to pay their bill and leave. 

**xx**

Ji-pyeong couldn't describe a detail of their ride to his apartment if it cost him his life. 

The journey passed as a colorful blur outside the car windows. He would also have to waste part of his fortune in tickets and minor repairs to the vehicle's brake system.

For once in his life, Ji-pyeong was the accelerator. 

Breathing deeply to regain control and avoid scaring a now very silent Dal-mi, he opened the door to his apartment, giving her the tiniest space to pass. After basically rubbing her body in his, failing to hold her breath, and consequently being intoxicated by Ji-pyeong's scent, Dal-mi entered his house.

And instantly realized she was thoroughly screwed. Ji-pyeong's scent was everywhere in the enormous apartment, from the pillows to the expensive paintings hanging on the walls. 

No matter how much she tried to breathe through her mouth, Dal-mi felt him everywhere at once. Senses overwhelmed by the new information, she decided to stay still in the middle of his living room, looking stupid yet safe from going mad. 

"Yeongsil, can you light up the house in a moderate way?" Ji-pyeong asked, hanging his coat and smiling discreetly over Dal-mi's reaction. 

"Playing Lights Up by Harry Styles now." Yeongsil announced before the luscious song started reverberating around the house.

Every hedonistic note of the song seemed to vibrate through Dal-mi's system, turning her body into a thrumming mass of craving and unyielding desire. Surprised by her own emotions, Dal-mi let her guard down and, in a second, felt entirely intoxicated by Ji-pyeong's scent hovering over her sensitive skin.

"One day, I will fight this machine." Ji-pyeong said, laughing with a pointed finger to Yeongsil, "Do you want me to turn over the song?" He asked her, admiring Dal-mi blossoming by the second, an entirely different person coming out.

Dal-mi's pupils seemed darker than the night sky outside his apartment, a famished expression turning her soft appearance into this strong force of nature. Eyes traveling over Ji-pyeong's face, she only smiled before unzipping her coat in the middle of his living room.

"It's a good song, very... Suiting." She said, hanging her coat next to his and not failing to notice how they fitted together on the wall. 

On the next second, Ji-pyeong was, once again, all over her personal space. Apparently, this was his favorite place on Earth now. 

Crashing his lips over hers, Ji-pyeong brought them closer together, molding Dal-mi's slender form to his muscular body. Taking her lower lip first, like a starving man earning his deserved meal after years trapped in a desert, Ji-pyeong made sure she felt everything overwhelming him. 

Dal-mi wasted no time to retribute, holding his jaw in place so she could deepen their flaming kiss. Lifting Dal-mi with the arm circling her tiny waist, Ji-pyeong made sure nothing could be between them beyond their stupid clothes. 

When his cold fingers touched the velvety skin of her back, Dal-mi felt like a sick person dying from the world's worst fever. Everywhere Ji-pyeong touched made Dal-mi feel as she was reviving like her entire being was starting over from the point where their skins touched at last. 

And when his appealing lips touched her smooth neck, sending an unbearable ripple down to her soul, Dal-mi made a decision. 

"I love you." she whispered, not low enough for Ji-pyeong to ignore. 

"What?" Ji-pyeong asked, dazzled eyes investigating her face to confirm he wasn't having a desire-driven delirium. 

Holding his face on her hands, Dal-mi looked straight into his darkened pupils and heated eyes. Breathing only once, her heart never so sure of an emotion like in this moment, she reiterated, louder now.

"I love you, Han Ji-pyeong. And because I know you will never ask, let me tell you why and what I love about you." Dal-mi explained, drinking his reactions in long gulps, "I love your kind eyes and amazing heart." She said, kissing each eye and touching his chest lovingly. 

Dal-mi rose to her toes and proceeded in no time, savoring in his profound silence and using it as an opportunity to keep going with the love declaration.

"I love your dimples and how they brighten my world every time they show up." She said, kissing each cheek where his dimples now rested, "I love your smart mouth and how you are always provoking me to be sharper, better, and authentic." Dal-mi announced, giving him a peck over his upper lip, Ji-pyeong's mouth open in the funniest way. 

"I love your brilliant mind and your amazing soul making the world a better place with your razor-sharp honest." Dal-mi kept going, kissing his forehead now. "I love you because you chose me during a time people were vanishing from my life. I love you because you kept choosing me fifteen years later when I was nothing but a girl with dreams."

"Seo Dal-mi..." He tried to say but was interrupted by the love of his life, placing a caring hand over his mouth. 

"Quiet now before I lose my courage." She smiled smartly, going on, "I love you because you stayed for Haelmoni, but also because you left for her as well. I love you for loving me when I couldn't love myself as I should and for waiting for me when I wasn't ready yet." 

"Dal-mi!" Ji-pyeong protested in a muffled voice, making Dal-mi laugh a little.

"I love you because I truly see you, Han Ji-pyeong." She said, hands leaving his mouth to hold his face to keep him listening.

"When I look at you now, I see my past, present, and future, but most of all, I see you for who you are, and boy you're the most beautiful thing my eyes have ever seen in this life." Dal-mi ended her speech, eyes swelling with fresh tears, tears of love, and recognition.

Ji-pyeong couldn't find the words to answer her. He, the boy behind the letters, the self-made investor, the former Director, and now Head of Operations, couldn't find the words when he most desired to say something. 

And for the first time in his life, Ji-pyeong realized he didn't need any words. Because right now, in the middle of his living room with a cheeky pop song playing on the stereo, Ji-pyeong understood what real love could be.

Not the fraternal love of an incredible old lady and her gigantic heart. Not the amicable love of his new friends with their constant admiration. 

The passionate and driven love of a woman who wanted nothing but to share her time with him. The wholeheartedly love of a woman who finally saw him after a decade. 

The fierce and extraordinary love of a woman he adored for most of his life. 

A woman that was, finally, entirely his to love. 

As a person who used acts of service to express love and affection, Ji-pyeong chose to act rather than say something. Killing the distance between them with another scorching kiss, he opted for carrying her into his room, one that wouldn't feel so alone anymore. 

When Dal-mi's hands threaded through his over their heads, body entirely at his control, Ji-pyeong understood what a happy ending could feel like. 

And he was so ready for it. 

**xx**

Being Ji-pyeong's girlfriend was an adventure since day one.

Dal-mi woke up to a scent that felt like home now, waking up from one of the best nights embraced by Ji-pyeong's heat. Staying in bed for five more minutes felt just right, so Dal-mi allowed herself to enjoy it fully.

She rejoiced on the weight of his arms encircling her even at sleep, his warm breath raising a wave of chills on her neck. She celebrated the proximity between them as if it was truly a blessing.

Turning her face just enough to see him, Dal-mi almost wished to take a picture of Ji-pyeong's peaceful face while sleeping. He had the Good Boy signature expression and a little smile on the corner of his lips filling Dal-mi's heart with love all over again.

After her five minutes turned into ten, Dal-mi decided it was time to act. Leaving bed as quietly as possible not to wake him up, she went on to explore his kitchen. 

Ji-pyeong's pharaonic cuisine would be her grandmother's dreams coming true. Everything was shining and immaculate, meaning her now-boyfriend wasn't cooking his food at all. 

Finding the perfect ingredients to prepare a fresh kimbap, Dal-mi got to work. Getting Yeongsil to successfully play her requested song felt like a bonus on this perfect Saturday morning.

Ji-pyeong showed up right on time, just when Dal-mi finished setting the table for them to have breakfast together. Still a little sleepy, his eyes seemed to search desperately for her.

Realizing now that waking up without her on his side could trigger a bad feeling from him, Dal-mi crossed the room to where he was and kissed his cheek, right where his dimples would be.

"Good morning, boyfriend." She said, not caring to mark her territory first thing in the morning. "I prepared gimbap for you, so you better like it," Dal-mi explained, presenting the table to a very confused Jipyeong.

"You cooked? For me?" He asked, dumbfounded, sitting at the table and accepting the plate she prepared for him, a hot tea following the said kimbap.

Ji-pyeong never had someone to prepare a special meal for him ever since Haelmoni's death. Having the most brilliant chefs preparing his meals allowed him to keep the diet and the body going. Still, it would never feel as warm as Haelmoni's unique recipes. 

Dal-mi's kimbap felt like another declaration of love, one he ate in single bites. 

Waking up without the woman in his arms made Ji-pyeong desperate in precisely two seconds. Following the smell of homemade food and the cheesy pop song playing around his house, Ji-pyeong found a very dancing Dal-mi preparing a table for two. 

Having breakfast with Dal-mi like it was a common thing made him feel strange. However, if this were to be their new rhythm Ji-pyeong was more than willing to accept. 

"So, Yeongsil is the smartest machine ever." Dal-mi started saying, placing more kimbap rolls in his plate

"God, I completely disagree and can't even start saying how much." Ji-pyeong said, annoyed out of his ass with the little devil machine.

"As I was saying... Yeongsil is the smartest machine ever. He was actually able to send a text to Mr. Park Dong-Chun cleaning your schedule today," Dal-mi announced like it was the most common thing ever. "And today, Mr. Han, you are doing fun things with me for Christmas."

Ji-pyeong knew his team could handle things now that they had a stronger relationship. What he couldn't handle was unexpected surprises from the brilliant mind of his recently earned girlfriend. 

"What are we doing today?" He asked, right when the doorbell rang. 

Dal-mi got up in no time and allowed a small team of three delivery people to enter his apartment, carrying bags and boxes full of shining items. Ji-pyeong decided only to watch her ordering them around while dressed in improvised pajamas, looking entirely like the CEO she was. 

His now-girlfriend wore his worn mentor shirt from Sandbox's Hackathon days, the one Ji-pyeong stole from his friend Park Dong-Chun. Dressed in his sleeping pants and knitted socks Haelmoni got for him on his birthday, Dal-mi was Ji-pyeong's walking dream. 

When their eyes met over the short distance between the living room and the dining table, both of them smiled openly. If this were to be their new routine, how they would spend free days and weekends, life was becoming a remarkable thing. 

With an adorable light brightening her face, Dal-mi opened a box and took out an armful of Christmas decoration items.

"We are building you a Christmas tree." She announced, all happy and jumpy now.

**xx**

Their first night turned into their first weekend together. 

Ji-pyeong and Dal-mi dived into their relationship's first experiences. From hours building a sizable Christmas tree to long heated showers together, they covered many bases of an intimate and comfortable relationship.

Dal-mi was now deciding which movie they could watch to end their weekend in an excellent way. Dressed in her clothes now, cozy pieces she got her mom to send over Ji-pyeong's house, Dal-mi sat between her boyfriend's legs. 

Ji-pyeong had taken as a mission to dry and comb Dal-mi's soft locks of hair, making it easier for her to sleep at night. As his girlfriend skimmed through the movie's catalog in the enormous television positioned in front of them, Ji-pyeong used his skilled fingers to fight the knots. 

And this felt beyond intimate.

They had cooked, cleaned, and worked together these two days. They had drunk, eaten, and laughed out loud together as well.

They wasted hours trying to shop for late Christmas gifts, fighting against a wave of desperate children and their parents. 

They had slept together and seen each other naked time and again. Dal-mi had shampooed his hair during the shower, and he had helped her dress the pajamas set she was now wearing.

In an effort to compensate for the wasted time in the past, Dal-mi and Ji-pyeong drank their company in long gulps, not losing a second away from each other anymore. 

And yet, allowing Ji-pyeong to comb his fingers through her hair felt different for some reason. Maybe because they were silent and thinking by themselves now, the silly subject about Disney movies being over and the comfortable silence they built together stretching over them like a cozy blanket. Maybe because as the weekend ended, Dal-mi and Ji-pyeong realized they would now have to face the real world. 

They would have to leave this lovely cave and face the world as a couple, exposing their relationship to others. 

"Are you scared?" Ji-pyeong asked after winning his battle with a complicated knot, fingers massaging her scalp slowly.

"A little, but not too much because I have you now." Dal-mi declared, throwing another love declaration on his way, one of many they had exchanged over the weekend.

Finishing his mission with her hair, Ji-pyeong dropped the comb and reached for Dal-mi. He got her close with no effort, the strong arms she adored encircling her waist and ending the distance between them. 

Positioning his girlfriend in a way that she could lay down on his arms and stare at him, Ji-pyeong made sure they were looking at each other before saying. 

"We survived twenty years of pain and heartbreak. This is the easy part." He assured her, dropping a kiss on her nose. 

As Ji-pyeong held her face, Dal-mi admired the person she now called hers. Her boyfriend, her partner, her friend. 

Spending these days with him only served to prove that this, their relationship and love for each other, was the right choice to make. Dal-mi would choose him over and over again, every day for the rest of her life. 

And if Ji-pyeong already envisioned her in a white dress when Dal-mi was cooking and dancing, a sweet habit he absolutely cherished, she couldn't really see in his warm eyes. And if Dal-mi dreamed of waking up by his side every morning, the same arm encircling her waist and keeping her close, Ji-pyeong couldn't see in her affectionate expression. 

As they were both adults now, leaving the thirties behind and entering a whole new phase of their lives, waiting was something that belonged to the movies and novellas. After all, they had waited a decade to find each other. 

Surviving this week would be their final test before being able to walk this path together. At last, the path of their fate and future.

"Mr. Han Ji-pyeong, would you like to be my plus one to Injae Company's Christmas gala?" Dal-mi asked, arms around his neck and lips closer to his. 

"Well, Ms. Seo." He answered, calling her by one of the many endearing nicknames they adopted for each other. "I'd be truly honored," Ji-pyeong announced with a smile, tipping her chin up and kissing her lips in a wholeheartedly kiss. 

Sunday ended between kisses, stolen popcorn, and some romantic movie Ji-pyeong would only watch because of Dal-mi. They slept over the couch, Ji-pyeong's head under Dal-mi's arm, her head rested on top of his, and their bodies intertwined as one. 

**xx**

Monday was usually a busy day for our favorite couple. 

Which is why Ji-pyeong decided to drop Dal-mi at the office before going to work. Buying her favorite coffee was a treat, one thought to energize the CEO so she could deal with the Christmas Gala organization. 

Injae Company's Christmas Gala was an idea from both sisters to celebrate the holidays and their professional achievements on a night where people would dress nicely and eat well. As the day for the Gala approached, Dal-mi saw herself trying to solve minor issues piling up over her table while dealing with Chungmyung Company's year end. 

For some reason, Dal-mi felt that she could do anything now that Ji-pyeong was by her side. 

Entering Sandbox's hall, holding each other's hands felt like a decisive move. They were both dressed in their best suits. Ji-pyeong wore his Gucci dark blue suit and Dal-mi walked around her Chanel professional attire. 

They walked the short distance between the entrance and the elevators as a happy couple. Each step carried exchanging smiles and small caresses, making them feel as great as the sunny day outside Sandbox's facilities. 

Ji-pyeong wanted to show off their relationship. To do so, he wanted to accompany Dal-mi to her table and only leave after she had a good kiss warming her mouth and heart.

He pressed the elevator button and used their privacy to come closer to her. Throwing his arm over Dal-mi's shoulder, Ji-pyeong kissed her temple while they waited. 

Before Dal-mi could say something and banter his overly affectionate gestures, the elevator doors opened. Revealing a formally dressed person they didn't expect seeing at all. 

"You have got to be kidding me." Ji-pyeong snorted, eyes rolling as he thought of this situation as another test from the Universe.

"Nam Do-san?" Dal-mi asked, mouth slightly agape, thoroughly surprised with the man's presence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE DONT HATE ON ME THIS IS A NEEDED MEASURE FOR A WELL DESERVED CLOSURE TO JIDAL AND OUR FAVORITE GOOD BOY, HAN JI-PYEONG 
> 
> btw i cant believe we are reaching the end of this story, chapter eight is officially the penultimate chapter and what a journey this has been. 
> 
> once again i want to thank every reader, moot and clown reading paths of fate and future, every person talking to me abt the fanfic over twitter and every compliment i got for this work as well. im profoundly grateful for the new friends i made because of jidal and i hope yall keep it up with my breakdowns and future stories. 
> 
> hit me up over stan twt (@chancekai) or down below in the comments section, it will be amazing to discuss this chapter with you guys!


	9. closure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when the past comes up and our favorite couple has to tie some loose ends.
> 
> Or the one where we finally get some much-needed dialogues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! we didn't had an update yesterday because i was busy out of my ass with uni and work stuff to do, so im sorry! 
> 
> today's chapter is the biggest one because it ends the story in a way and there's a lot of dialogues as well. BUT its not THE END yet. 
> 
> we have an epilogue coming this week ay some point once i get rid of uni stuff tomorrow so hold on to pofaf (this fic cute nickname) and wait for it.
> 
> have a nice reading and i see you at the end of the chapter <3

**xx**

If looks could kill, Do-san would be dead by now.

Ji-pyeong stood still, as a predator watching a gazelle's movements. Keeping Dal-mi close to his chest, to the point where she couldn't breathe properly, the self-made investor scrutinized the boy in front of him. 

"Are you guys going up or down?" Do-san asked as if seeing them was the most common thing in life.

"Hopefully nowhere." Ji-pyeong said the same sarcastic smile, the one e gave to Do-san during the start-up party a few years ago, lightening his face once again.

Dal-mi was thoroughly in shock, lacking words or comprehensive thoughts from seeing Do-san standing in front of her like this was a typical Monday morning. They haven't seen each other in three years now, and his first words were this silly question.

Do-san hadn't changed much during this period, despite his wardrobe being nicer now. With the same haircut and puppy eyes, the engineer looked more experienced. Still, his manner betrayed an immaturity that didn't sit well on a thirty-five years old man.

Was he always like this and Dal-mi failed to see through the passionate fog hanging between them? 

"What are you doing here?" She asked, focusing on a more important question and ignoring the men's territorial exchange. 

"I am here to see my parents and the boys, but also for the Gala." Do-san answered, deep brown eyes focusing on Dal-mi for the first time.

This was a vague answer. Do-san wasn't precisely the attached guy, being emotionally constipated and all that. 

He was the same person who once dropped his mom in the middle of nowhere to help Dal-mi during the ransomware attack on Chungmyung Company. An action that seemed gentlemanly back at the time, but one that from different lenses, the ones Dal-mi used now after maturing enough to see it, felt insensible. 

And if Dal-mi forced her mind to remember, Do-san had also left her drunk self alone in a park. He left her vulnerable and during an ominous night. 

There was no love in making abrupt choices, thankfully she could see it now. However, his answer only meant there was a hidden reason behind his sudden return.

One Dal-mi would definitely learn, especially if it was coming in the way of her relationship with Ji-pyeong. 

The same Ji-pyeong who was now almost blending Dal-mi to his body in a funny territorialism performance. Restraining a laugh and looking at his strained face, the woman knew he was worried about her second-guessing their relationship because of Do-san. 

Despite being almost forty now, Ji-pyeong could still be clueless sometimes. 

"We will have this conversation later." Dal-mi announced to Do-san, leaving no space for the men to argue. "Right now, my boyfriend is taking me to my office." She smiled to Ji-pyeong, feeling his arm relax around her, allowing a resemblance of oxygen to enter Dal-mi's lungs at last. 

Unfortunately, they were all heading for the same place, which turned the slow ride up into an awkward set of lengthy seconds. 

"Go ahead." Dal-mi said, motioning her hand to Do-san to follow his path once they reached the office's level. 

She needed to have some privacy with Ji-pyeong before allowing him to leave. Finding an empty meeting room in the hallway, Dal-mi ordered her boyfriend to sit at the table, in a way that his eyes stood on the same level as hers.

"You're surprisingly stupid sometimes." Dal-mi started to say, a smile painting her face with bright colors.

"This was not at all how I was expecting this to start." Ji-pyeong said, laughing openly, heart relaxing by the second now. 

"Don't you think I haven't felt your insecurities down there, Ji-pyeong." Dal-mi explained, fingers playing with the hair falling down his gorgeous face. "There is nothing between me and Do-san now, and me and him are not happening again in this life" She declared, using easy words, almost childish ones, to get him to understand this once and for all. 

"Hopefully not in the next lives as well." Ji-pyeong pleaded to the Universe, hands pulling his girlfriend closer "I happen to be overly territorial now." He said, kissing Dal-mi too slowly while she encircled his neck with her arms.

"Did you realize there was something wrong with his answer as well?" Dal-mi asked, putting some distance between their mouths before it was too late for her poor trembling legs. 

"Well, it was vague." Ji-pyeong answered, shoulders moving up and down indifferently "But then again, he is the most obnoxious human being on Earth." He completed laughter shining his eyes while his fingers tapped Dal-mi's waist playfully. 

"God, you're a devil." She fired back, laughing openly and earning a peck on her chin as an answer "I have to know why is he truly here, so if Do-san reaches you for some reason please try to be nice and help your girlfriend out."

"Why would we talk in the first place? For a long time, I considered getting a restraint order against him after he punched my beautiful face out of nowhere." Ji-pyeong asked, making a dramatic show of highlighting his facial expressions. 

"Please." Dal-mi requested with an adorable little pout.

"What will I win in return?" Ji-pyeong said, taking her lips between his in a quick heated kiss.

"Does everything with you have to be a negotiation?" She asked, trying to regain control of her hormones.

"Well, I didn't make my first million by surrendering to beautiful women's pouts, did I?" He answered smartly, earning a pinch on his arm for talking about negotiating with other women. 

"If you help me I promise to be very nice to you." Dal-mi announced simply, a fire lightening her eyes up and a devilish smile making Ji-pyeong's heart stutter a little.

"What wouldn't I do when you're looking at me like this." He said, sighing loudly and pressing her waist softly.

"Would you let me drive your car?" She asked, a mischievous expression brightening her entire face now.

"God, no. Never." He answered right back, making Dal-mi laugh out loud, throwing her head back and giving him a beautiful vision in return.

In his mind, Ji-pyeong only thought that Dal-mi didn't have to worry. After all, there was no way Do-san would end up wanting to talk to him. 

Little did he know about the developer's real intentions. 

**xx**

"So you finally got the girl, huh?" An irritating voice asked behind Ji-pyeong's back once he reached his car. 

Today, the Universe decided to test Han Ji-pyeong. He was willing to throw the towel if it meant he could give a last lesson to this stupid boy. 

Looking around, like he was checking if there was someone else around the vacant parking lot, Ji-pyeong turned his body to Nam Do-san and said: 

"Are you talking to me?" He asked finger-pointing to himself and a fake dumbfounded expression.

"Yes, Director. Han" Do-san answered, already annoyed out of his mind "Can we talk?"

"It's Head of European Operations for you now." Ji-pyeong retorted, relishing on his own pettiness "And no" the man ended saying, clicking the button on the car's control and opening its doors.

"Please." Nam Do-san pleaded, voice so frustrated that Ji-pyeong almost smiled from hearing it.

There he was, Nam Do-san, the face of arrogance with his hands on the black suit pockets, a nose so high it was almost touching the ceiling. However, Do-san's voice and eyes carried the most tasteful feeling of humiliation. 

Ji-pyeong was feeling like a kid on a Christmas morning, watching the boy flinch and avoid meeting his eyes. Something inside him said this could actually be really fun, and messing up with annoying people was his favorite pastime after all.

"Okay, talk." Ji-pyeong basically ordered, crossing his arms and laying back on the car. "But stay over there and I'll stay here, just in case you decide to ravage my face again." He demanded, showing a cocky smile of his own.

"You want us to talk here? In the parking lot?" Do-san asked, looking around in disbelief.

"Well, I doubt whatever you have to say is so important that we need a whole ceremony for it." Ji-pyeong retorted with a mischievous smile, his own smugness loading to a maximum level now. 

"Okay then." Do-san retorted, rubbing his clammy hands on the suit's pants, showing the first sign of anxiety and his old self.

His sudden nervousness almost made Ji-pyeong decide to take it easy on him. Almost. 

"In-jae forced me into an anger management program..." Do-san began to explain.

"I'm glad she is finally pet-training you." Ji-pyeong interrupted with his sharp tongue. 

"Are you done now?" The boy asked with impatience and embarrassment in his voice.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Ji-pyeong fired back with a smart smile, motioning with his hand afterward "Please go on, some of us have actual grown-up work to do" He ordered once again, faking a yawn at the end of his sentence just to annoy the boy a little more.

"Because of this treatment, I realized I was an asshole to you in the past. I wanted to apologize sincerely for my immaturity and its consequences in your life" Do-san said in one breath, words coming out quickly and eyes looking everywhere except for Ji-pyeong's million-watt smile.

"That's it? You're done asking for my holy forgiveness?" Ji-pyeong questioned when he said nothing more.

"What? You were expecting me to kneel and plead for hours?" Do-san questioned, annoyed by this useless conversation "Don't answer that." He added once Ji-pyeong eyebrows raised as if the man was considering it. 

"If I accept your lame-ass apology does this mean I never have to see you again?"

"Hopefully yes." Do-san answered, sighing out loud because they seemed to be agreeing for the first time in a long time. 

"Then we are as fine as gold." Ji-pyeong announced, looking twice to check if Do-san was really offering his hand to him to shake. 

Yes, he was offering his hand. As if this was a blood pact between frat brothers and not Ji-pyeong finally getting rid of him. 

Staring at his offered hand, Ji-pyeong could only think about how his audacity and stupidity would be this boy's downfall someday. A day he wouldn't be around to watch, unfortunately. 

Taking his hand grudgingly, barely holding one of his fingers to do it, Ji-pyeong shook slightly and let it go in a blink of an eye. He couldn't wait to see him an ocean away again. 

"So, why are you here? And remember, pleading people don't lie." Ji-pyeong asked, conceding to Dal-mi's request once again. 

"I'm really here to see Yong-san, Chul-san and my family, also for the Gala. But I needed to get some closure before going back, especially with you."

"And with my girlfriend?" The investor asked, going straight to the point and making sure to emphasize Dal-mi's new title. 

"We had our conversation years ago, so we're fine. No need to bark or pee around her to mark your territory." 

"Yes, cause I am the one who looks like a damn puppy." Ji-pyeong retorted while fake coughing. "So this means you're leaving soon?"

"I'm going back for New Year's Eve, can't miss the lights in San Francisco during this time of the year." Do-san answered with an interrogation sign on his face, trying to understand what the man had said. 

"Yeah, sure." Ji-pyeong said, snorting to his obnoxious answer. "Well then I guess we're over here, let's not open this box again in this life and hopefully we get to keep going with our lives without sharing the same air again." He completed, opening his doors and smiling widely to the developer, the expression carrying nothing but relief. 

Do-san only smiled, because Ji-pyeong had changed a lot, but in essence, he was the same sarcastic man that once allowed him to play dress-up in his enormous apartment. Feeling relieved as well, the developer decided it was time to visit his parents now, turning to walk towards the elevator. 

"Nam Do-san." Ji-pyeong called out, startling the developer with the sudden formal call "Let me teach you one less lesson before we part ways, hopefully forever now." His former mentor said, voice serious and a light on his eyes Do-san had never seen before. 

"Go on." The developer accepted, curious to understand what was causing such a change in his demeanors. 

"Do not make a person your dream and joy. People can't be dreams." Ji-pyeong said sincerely, eyes sharp and attentive as it used to be when he was Samsan Tech's mentor "You can't place all your expectations and happiness over someone's shoulders. At the end of the day, no matter how much you love someone, they are still a human being, a normal person trying to find their way in life as well." He finished, arms resting over his car's doors now, a little smile on the side of his mouth.

"So you want me to believe that Dal-mi is not your dream?" Do-san asked in disbelief. 

"She isn't. My dream is to build a family with her in a house with a huge backyard for our kids and dogs, but I would never expect her to carry this burden and responsibility for me." Ji-pyeong explained simply. 

"Well, then let me add my two cents to this conversation: I'm glad to see that Dal-mi is truly happy with you." Do-san said, trying to be pleasant for the first time in their exchange "Despite our brief encounter, she seems to be doing great and I couldn't fail to notice how she looks at you. It is nice to see a person I once loved being happy now."

"Thank you, and please keep conjuring your lovey-dovey verbs about her in the past." Ji-pyeong thanked honestly before entering his car and preparing to leave. 

On his way out, Do-san stopped by his window and decided to ask:

"Do you think that maybe we would have been friends in another situation?"

"Maybe" He answered with an honest smile that quickly turned into a funny face. "But I honestly doubt it." Ji-pyeong finished with a devilish smile before hitting the accelerator and leaving Sandbox behind. 

With a pop song Dal-mi loved to sing out loud coming out from the speakers, Ji-pyeong drove to his first meeting of the day. He carried the world's most brilliant smile on his face, smiling from ear to ear in perfect harmony with the Universe doings in his life. 

Life had already made a choice for him, and Ji-pyeong couldn't agree more with where this path was taking him. Going through his contacts as he waited for the green light to pop up, Ji-pyeong decided to call the one person who needed to listen to his news the most. 

"Ms. Yoon." Ji-pyeong greeted when the call connected "It seems that I will be moving back to Korea, after all."

"Really? Who would've thought?" Ms. Yoon answered on the other side of the line, hand clicking on the digital folder she had prepared for his return months ago, a smile brightening in her face as well.

**xx**

When Sa-ha cornered Dal-mi in the bathroom after lunchtime was over, the woman knew she was never seeing her office again on this day. 

"Spill it, Seo Dal-mi." Sa-ha ordered, an arm blocking her wait out. 

Before Dal-mi could open her mouth, someone tried to open the door, and Sa-ha basically barked to the woman's face:

"Do you see the size of this place? Go find another bathroom, this one is out of service." Sa-ha said in her boss-woman tone, closing the door abruptly in the stranger's face.

"God, you can be a bully sometimes, you know that?" Dal-mi answered, crossing her arms and finding a spot to lean on. 

This would be a hard-ass conversation. 

"What do you want me to say?"

"Are you dating Mr. Han? Did you guys sleep together? Is his bedroom as nice as his apartment?" Sa-ha started to list, going a little frantic by each sentence. "Why is Do-san suddenly back? Is he taking Chul-san with him? Are you allowing this to happen?" 

Listening to her worries, Dal-mi could only smile. Sa-has was a badass woman since day one, but Chul-san got his way into her heart and turned her best friend into a softer person. 

"Yes to all the questions related to me and Ji-pyeong." Dal-mi explained, smiling openly when a few memories from the weekend came back to her mind. "I don't know why Do-san is back, but apparently Ji-pyeong magically found out and will tell me later. Chul-san is not going anywhere, don't worry." She said, soothingly, holding Sa-ha in place by her shoulders. 

"I can't believe you just told me you slept with Mr. Han like it was the most common thing ever. Girl, I need information now." Sa-ha ordered, pretending she wasn't moved by Dal-mi's response about Chul-san not going away.

"What could you possibly want to know, Sa-ha?" 

"Well, I'm a woman with a fine set of eyes and a functional hormonal system, so of course I need information about size, shape and this kind of stuff. Just to begin with." Sa-ha said seriously, rejoicing on Dal-mi's shyness and constant flinching. 

"God, I am kidding, but it will always be fun to see you wanting to disappear." She completed after a few seconds, throwing her hair back off her shoulders and checking the lipstick over the mirror.

"You're the worst best friend in the whole wide world." Dal-mi said, hands on her heated cheeks now. 

"Well, good luck trying to find a new one." Sa-ha fired back, snorting and sending a kiss on her friend's way "You know, I've been always rooting for you guys and it was so damn hard to ship you too together." 

"What?" Dal-mi asked, unable to believe in her unexpected confession. "Since when? You never said anything about it."

"A fairy godmother does not interfere, she just throws bones around and waits for her pets to pick it." Sa-ha recited like this phrase belonged to some couture magazine she was always reading. "And girl, I threw you an armful of bones, okay? Don't be naive with me, it won't work." 

"I'm glad you're coming out as a supporter, though. It would have sucked to see you doing judgmental faces to Ji-pyeong as you did to Do-san."

"What can I say? Finally you have some resemblance of taste." Sa-ha fired back with a smart smile on her full lips, getting ready to leave now. "By the way, the other Ms. Seo asked me to tell you she is expecting you at her house tonight." 

"Why on Earth would she be expecting me?" Dal-mi asked honestly, feeling surprised once again. 

"She is your sister, not mine." Sa-ha replied, making funny movements with her hand to reinforce the argument "Oh, and she also asked me to say that you should bring 'dad's special, whatever the hell this is." 

Dal-mi looked to the floor with this information, trying to decipher her sister's mysterious words. Was In-jae playing a prank on her through Sa-ha? 

"Okay, bye now." Sa-ha said after half a second, sending Dal-mi an air kiss before leaving the CEO alone in the bathroom. 

Dal-mi stood frozen in her spot, trying to understand why her sister would invite her over. 

What was In-jae really planning?

**xx**

Despite being dead rich now, In-jae lived in a simple apartment. 

Seo In-jae was a rising CEO, being considered by many as a role model for the new generation. Having won her deservingly first million before the age of thirty-five, Dal-mi expected her sister to be living in a luxury condo or something. 

Analyzing In-jae's humble apartment from the outside was the path her brain decided to take so she wouldn't overthink this entire situation. Holding a gigantic bag of fried chicken on her left hand, Dal-mi felt as nervous as the first time she went to a sleepover during her childhood.

Dal-mi was unable to work after Sa-ha dropped her sister's invite at her feet. She spent the long hours afterward feeling jittery and anxious but excited as well, mostly because In-jae wasn't the type of person to invite others into her personal space.

Despite their relationship being much better now, compared to the day Dal-mi decided to ask her a question during a presentation in Sandbox, they had never really talked about everything that happened. On the contrary, they just entered this comfortable rhythm where they bantered and played with each other. 

However, they also seemed to be keeping one another an arm's length for safety, and this was too tiring. Working together with In-jae was a dream coming true, and she wished to enjoy it properly. 

Dal-mi has always admired her sister's intelligence and quick-wit. Still, their stupid competition over their past choices had created this colossal bridge between them. 

Was this invitation In-jae's way to cross this bridge after all these years? 

Breathing in and trying to get a resemblance of courage inside her lungs, Dal-mi entered the apartment complex and followed the given instructions to reach In-jae's house. Frozen on her doorstep, Dal-mi raised her hand and knocked lightly. 

After waiting a whole minute, she was more than ready to run away and go back to the safe space of Ji-pyeong's arms. Before she could take a step back, In-jae opened the door with a bright smile, wearing simple clothes Dal-mi had never seen in her wearing in this life. 

Dressed in black pajamas shorts, a pair of long and warm coloured socks reaching up to her knees, and the CEO shirt from the Hackathon's days, Seo In-jae looked like someone else entirely. Dal-mi could only think that an alien had abducted her older sister. 

"Finally, you are here." In-jae said happily, pulling Dal-mi inside her alcove "How can you be late to eat and drink with your own sister?" She asked, picking up the fried chicken and smiling even wider now. 

"What is happening right now?" Dal-mi said out loud, looking around her sister's apartment from the inside for the first time. 

Everything was as meticulous as In-jae. Despite being a small space, her sister had left her mark all over the place, from the beautiful beige sofa to the shiny tableware hanging on the dish rack in the kitchen. Every detail had her signature and refined taste. 

Over the small dark wooden centre table in the living room, a bunch of cheap canned beers formed a neat pile. In-jae had already positioned herself on the floor, distributing the fried chicken in expensive plates with a smile on her face, as if she was opening Christmas gifts. 

"Sit down, but please leave your ugly shoes on the door." In-jae ordered, using her CEO tone and finally resembling the woman Dal-mi knew. 

Doing as she was told, still, in shocked silence, Dal-mi picked up a pillow and sat right beside her sister. Following her every move, the woman tried to understand what was happening and why they seemed to be living this intimate exchange out of nowhere. 

"Answering your question so you can stop looking at me like this: we are now having a sister moment together, one where we will open our hearts to each other and all that." In-jae explained, opening a beer to Dal-mi and picking up another for herself. 

"Did your therapist order you to do it in some kind of overcoming ritual?" Dal-mi asked, drinking a long gulp of her beer to process this situation in a lighter state of mind. 

In-jae laughed and did the most unexpected thing right after. Shaking up the beer, the prominent CEO pierced the middle of the beer can and drank like a crazy college student would do. 

Who was this person in front of Dal-mi and where had her stuck-up sister gone to? 

"I don't need a therapist because my brain is a work of art already, they were actually paying me to participate in researches about people with the highest IQ in Korea, but I refused because of my busy schedule." In-jae said with a conceited smile, enjoying the opportunity to mess up with her little sister.

"You're kidding right?" Dal-mi asked, stopping in the middle of another gulp to stare at her sister dumbfounded. 

In-jae only laughed, leaving her sister without the answer. Afterward, they ate and drank in silence for a few minutes. 

Dal-mi looked around, trying to absorb every detail in her heart, feeling privileged to be allowed inside her sister's personal space. 

"So, a little bird told me you finally made a good choice for a boyfriend." In-jae started to say, legs crossed and arms resting up at her knees, a smart smile making her face even prettier. 

"Sa-ha is the worst." Dal-mi answered, rolling her eyes and drinking more of the beer "What, are you jealous?" She asked, trying to understand In-jae's real intentions with this subject, doubting her sister once again. 

"Who, me? Jealous of you and him?" In-jae questioned, laughing out loud and gesturing to some pictures positioned beside the sofa "Well, you might not know this but I'm very bisexual and very compromised to an awesome woman at the moment as well." She announced, smiling as she looked at the framed pictures of her girlfriend.

"What?" Dal-mi basically screamed before scrambling up to pick up the pictures. 

The first frame held pictures of In-jae and a beautiful woman hiding her face on the woman's neck when they were in bed. Another one showed them in a live festival, something Dal-mi would never assume In-jae would enjoy, this one revealing her girlfriend's face more. 

In-jae's girlfriend was astonishing, to say the least. Dal-mi really thought beautiful people should be prohibited to date each other just so others wouldn't feel super sad all the time. Still, they formed such a charming pair that every theory went to the trash in a second. 

God, her sister looked so happy in the pictures. In-jae smiled so much her eyes were almost closed in every image, and they also seemed to be together for a long time now, photos of them traveling and spending holidays together denouncing the longevity of their relationship. 

"Does our mom know about this?" Dal-mi asked, in lack of words for this new information.

"Is this really your first question?" In-jae retorted, laughing openly now, "Yes, she knows and it's okay with it. She actually likes So-min" She explained, revealing her girlfriend's name just to relish on Dal-mi's surprised expression.

"Her name is So-min? That is a gorgeous name, In-jae!" She exclaimed, throwing herself in front of In-jae and smiling romantically at the same time. 

"Okay, enough with this face, please." Her sister answered with a little laugh "Keep behaving yourself and you might meet her at the Gala." In-jae smiled, ending her first beer and opening another, cheeks becoming red by the second.

"So if you have a girlfriend, why in hell would you be all handsy with Ji-pyeong?" Dal-mi asked, as her brain was piecing things together. 

"Well, I had to do something for you to see that Ji-pyeong is the only possible choice ever." In-jae explained, biting a considerable piece of the fried chicken. "I know him for a few years now, and I never saw him so whipped for someone as he is with you."

"And you never thought of telling me this because?" 

"Because you're truly clueless and you wasted years trying to make it work with Do-san," In-jae said simply, shoulders moving up and down. "I'm glad Ms. Yoon's plan worked, now we get to have him back and convince him to invest in our company."

"Ms. Yoon has a finger in everything too?" Dal-mi asked, falling on her own butt as she realized how clueless she was. "And wait a minute, I thought this investment story was just an excuse to get me to talk with him."

"Is this why you're failing to deliver his signed contract? God, Dal-mi." Her sister said, rolling her eyes in the process. "The man is actually one of the best investors out there, please get him to sign up with us soon." 

"Okay, okay. But I'm not using our relationship as an excuse for him to do it" The younger sister conceded, pointing a finger to her sister in the process. 

"I am honestly glad you guys are together, he is a really nice person. And good-looking as well, which doesn't hurt." In-jae said sincerely after slapping her sister's finger jokingly.

"He is an amazing person, and sometimes I think back of how our parents also started as penpals." She answered dreamily. 

"Yes, but they divorced and our father died." Her sister said, throwing a bucket of icy water over Dal-mi's head as usual "Let's hope you guys have a nicer ending." 

"God, you're the worst." Dal-mi fired back, finishing her beer and taking another piece of the tasty fried chicken.

They stayed in silence for a few seconds, In-jae looking intently at her sister as if trying to decide if they should talk about something else. Realizing the intense stare, her younger sister asked: 

"Why are you looking at me like this? Are you planning on finally murdering me?"

"You are not funny, no matter how much you try." In-jae said, laughing, going against her own words. "This is not why I asked you to come, although I felt you needed someone to talk to about him." 

"Why am I here, then?" Dal-mi questioned, putting down her cheap beer. 

"I want to clear our relationship so we don't have any past pain and anger in our way." She announced with an unknown honesty in her tone. "Because I dream of us having an amazing relationship beyond our workspace, I want to apologize for everything that happened in our past." 

When In-jae reached Dal-mi's hand to show affection and the sincerity of her words, the younger woman smiled. Finally, they were treating their injuries and walking together again. 

Dal-mi had missed her sister a lot, even before Haelmoni's death. Despite their relationship evolving a lot from what it used to be, talking things through and starting a new chapter felt like the most amazing Christmas gift. 

"I am sorry too, despite you accepting that I am better than you, I never wanted us to drift apart." Dal-mi said, making her sister laugh and the awkward mood go away quickly. "And I am glad you know this is mostly your fault since you're the older sister." She finished saying, reaching for another beer, already feeling a little dizzy. 

"I guess I should be the responsible one." In-jae agreed, picking up her can and opening for Dal-mi. "But then again, you shouldn't be this annoying too." 

"Well, I am not hugging you know." Dal-mi said after accepting the open beer "You smell like cheap beer and greasy food."

"Did you expect me to buy an expensive drink for you?" In-jae questioned an eyebrow up and a mischievous smile on her lips. 

At that, both of them laughed openly, because, finally, they felt familiar again. 

Yes, In-jae was always the responsible one while Dal-mi had the freedom to be this annoying person, but this is what made their relationship special in some way. Hopefully, after this open-heart conversation, they would be able to find a new rhythm together. 

They talked their way through the night, discussing various subjects as two life-long best friends catching up with each other after a long journey. Dal-mi ended up sleeping with In-jae in her queen-size bed, both drunk on low-cost alcohol and questionable food, holding each other as they did during their childhood days. 

**xx**

Injae Company Christmas Gala day arrived over them smoothly, but now effortlessly. 

After waking up with the worst hangover ever, the Seo sisters worked their way through the many details of their company's big night. Working side by side and in an amicable atmosphere was something entirely new for them, but productive and fun in a way that only made the sisters wish for this to become their routine. 

Days passed in a blur of late meetings, delivery tracking, and dress adjustments. 

Dal-mi saw days turning into night and had Ji-pyeong walking by her side at every step. During countless late hours of work, he would finish a few activities for her while she passed out on his couch. 

And when Dal-mi would wake up on his bed afterward, hugged to his scentful chest, she could only smile and thank the Universe for this blessing. 

Ji-pyeong would always wake up earlier for some reason, no matter what day it was. However, sometimes Dal-mi would do her best to get up before him and prepare a killing breakfast while she danced away in the apartment's kitchen.

Sometimes, she would find herself up watching Ji-pyeong working at Chungmyung Company office. During these moments, she could only think about how proud Haelmoni would be from seeing them together like this. 

Feelings like this made Dal-mi spend long minutes just hugging his neck or playing with his soft hair as he typed reports on the laptop, grateful for sharing her life with him. 

Everything was more than perfect for the Gala to start. 

Dal-mi and In-jae had optioned for a dazzling decoration, with golden chandeliers and white roses distributed everywhere, flowers so big they looked like lighthouses. Every guest was dressed up to the nines, walking around with champagne flutes and expensive jewelry shining in the night's lights. 

Dressed in killing outfits, Dal-mi and Ji-pyeong were positioned outside the auditorium's doors, waiting for In-jae to announce their names. Being the host for the first Gala organized by Chungmyung Company and Injae Company felt more than impressive, especially because Dal-mi was accompanied by the love of her life. 

Ji-pyeong had become the majority shareholder of Injae Company, having decided to invest half a billion on their business before Dal-mi tried to convince him. Because of this, In-jae had decided to make him the Gala's host as well. 

Her actions were a tribute and a huge thanks for the contribution he made to the company. It was also motivated by the fact that they built a sublime pair together. She couldn't wait to watch them over the stage tonight. 

They were both positioned in front of the auditorium's doors, waiting to be called inside by Dal-mi's sister any second now. 

The CEO felt jittery and nervous, having already checked the packed place they would be coming in. With agitated clammy hands, Dal-mi walked in circles around the hall. At the same time, Ji-pyeong was the epitome of calm and confidence.

"Will you please stop? I can’t check you out properly in this dress when you are tap-dancing around." Ji-pyeong called her out, offering his hand so she could hold on to something. 

Dal-mi looked like a spectacle tonight. Dressed in a navy long blue dress, with a slit showing her slender legs when she walked and a low dip on the back, she was the image of the perfect woman to Ji-pyeong's eyes. 

As he was not a man to lose an opportunity in his life, Ji-pyeong used her proximity to encircle Dal-mi's waist, bringing her closer to him. With a devilish smile, he kissed pink lips lovingly, trying to distract her a little, but also enjoying that he could do this anytime now. 

"Thank you." She said honestly, breathing easily now. 

"Anytime, love." He said, smiling brightly and putting a flock of her velvety hair behind her ear. 

Ji-pyeong was every woman's wet dream tonight. Dressed in a full black suit, a navy blue tie matching Dal-mi's dress smoothly, he formed an astonishing figure with his black hair combed perfectly, showing off his forehead and bright eyes. 

"She is finishing her speech to announce you guys." Sa-ha showed up out of nowhere, power walking in her rich pink strapless dress to check Dal-mi's makeup. 

"Okay." Dal-mi said, untangling her limbs from Ji-pyeong's hold grudgingly so her best friend could retouch her makeup. 

"Are you nervous?" Sa-ha asked, using Lancome's compact powder to disguise her friend's nervous expression. 

"I feel like fainting, seriously." She answered honestly, making her friend laugh openly.

"Hey, let me ask you something." Ji-pyeong said arms crossed while he observed her with adoration lighting his warm eyes. "How do you feel about having a huge backyard in your future?" 

"That's a random question." Dal-mi fired back, snorting and thanking Sa-ha once she finished God's work on her face. "But it would be nice, our kids could run around with the dogs all day." She answered honestly, smiling and intertwining her fingers to his. 

Ji-pyeong loved this woman with all his heart and soul. Looking at her confident expression, he could only think of the moment they would finally share their life together, every day and for the rest of their lives. 

"I love you." Ji-pyeong said when he heard their names being announced inside, bringing Dal-mi's hands to his lips and kissing the space where he would soon put a ring on. 

"I love you more." She said with love in her eyes before the doors opened and they walked in, the roaring applause of a thousand people following their steps. 

Holding his hand, Dal-mi walked to where the spotlights waited for them, where In-jae and her mom awaited her with a huge smile. 

Together, they walked the red-carpet path to the stage. 

_The path of their fate and future._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS NOT THE END! we still have chapter 10, our epilogue, to come up this week and then its time to say goodbye to pofaf 😭
> 
> despite that, i wanted to give them a nice long scene to warm our hearts and god lemme say this: i love this chapter. 
> 
> closure with do-san? sarcastic jipyeong comeback stage? injae bi queen? a well-deserved gala scene we never got to see on she show? yes me! 
> 
> thank you so much for reading this whole story and reaching this chapter, im super emotional so hit me up with kind words at the comment section and over stan twt (@chancekai) because i might actually cry


	10. epilogue: paths of fate and future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when they decide to keep choosing each other. 
> 
> Or the one where we get a proposal, their marriage, and a happily ever after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> our goodbye is finally here and im not ready to let go just yet... so i wrote a long-ass speech by the end of this chapter
> 
> im emo. im mourning jidal all over again so there might be a few errors in this one, but lets get this chapter rolling okay?

**xx**

Nothing could be worse than a busy Friday. 

Just when Dal-mi felt the weekend embracing her, In-jae decided to send a huge ass email requesting a bunch of reports regarding Tarzan. 

The blank document page was marked by incomprehensible words, as Dal-mi kept hitting her forehead over the keyboard in an effort to make the words come out quickly. She was now alone in her office, having seen every friend walk right into the weekend's sweet arms. 

They say old habits die hard, and hitting her head over different surfaces was Dal-mi's signature move. 

Injae was the worst boss, but the best sister. After their open heart conversation over cheap beers and fried chicken, Dal-mi felt like they finally crossed the bridge standing between them.

They had built an intimate relationship in no time. Suddenly, Dal-mi was sleeping over at her sister's house every other weekend and was now best friends with Injae's girlfriend. Because of this, it was always hard when In-jae went all CEO over her. 

"Well, this looks good." Ji-pyeong's voice ringed out on her back, making her jump high on the chair. 

One look at him was enough to put Dal-mi at ease. Dressed in a black leather jacket with a cotton white shirt and simple jeans, Ji-pyeong was the picture of a biker boyfriend.

Despite being used to seeing Ji-pyeong in casual outwears, Dal-mi always felt her heart flutter when she saw him in comfortable clothes. Right now, on his worn jeans and old black Converse, Ji-pyeong looked cute and enticing at the same time. 

And there she was, distracted again with sinful thoughts regarding her boyfriend. 

"Since when are you standing over there?" She asked, swallowing hard and trying to get herself together. 

"I've been calling you out for a few minutes now." He assumed, laughing and bending over to kiss her lips. 

God, his lips. Kissing him was overwhelming like the very first time. No matter how many times he kissed her, golden butterflies would take flight on Dal-mi's stomach and a smile found a place on her face instantly. 

"What are you doing working late again?" Ji-pyeong asked, finishing the kiss with a peck on her neck, face close to hers in an intimate exchange.

"In-jae decided to hate me again and it's now making me write these reports for tomorrow morning." She said, hitting the keyboard angrily. 

Ji-pyeong only smiled, his hidden intentions fighting hard to come out. 

Pulling her chair over the bean bag place of the office, he tried to make Dal-mi rest a little after working too hard. 

"Come now, take a nap and let me do this for you." He asked, taking out his jacket and covering her up.

"As much as I love the forearms you are showing now, I am pretty sure In-jae can tell you've been doing my work recently." Dal-mi said, already getting cozy with his warm jacket on the yellow bean bag. 

"You're so resistant right now, I can't believe we will have to fight about it." Ji-pyeong said jokingly, eyes rolling from his dozing-off girlfriend. 

Watching her fall asleep, Ji-pyeong kneeled down and kissed her forehead before getting to work. Sitting on her table and adjusting the height, the man started to type right away.

Forty minutes and two finished reports later, Dal-mi woke up with the loudest yawn ever. Listening to the sound he was now used to adore, Ji-pyeong only smiled as he worked through the third report.

"Hey there, Sleeping Beauty." He said with affection in his tone "I picked up some correspondence downstairs when I arrived and I think you should see it before we leave." 

"Okay" She said, still a little sleepy but with more energy now. 

Stealing a peck from Ji-pyeong when he wasn't seeing, the CEO walked to the table and picked up the envelopes. Reading rapidly the information on each one, her lazy mind almost passed through a white one signed with her name in well-known handwriting. 

_To Seo Dal-mi_

"Ji-pyeong." She called out, all serious and thoroughly aware now. "What is this about?" Dal-mi asked, raising the letter so he could see it.

"I think you should really read this." Ji-pyeong said with a loving smile, ending the distance between them and kissing her temple.

"Okay then, but this better be something good." She announced while opening the envelope.

"When did I ever fail to deliver it, Ms. Seo?" He asked, pretending to be offended by her words. 

"Well, I don't know." Dal-mi retorted with laughter in her eyes "But it has been more than a week since I woke up with you measuring my ring finger at night" She finished, laughing openly at the funny memory.

"Can you maybe read it in silence?" Ji-pyeong requested, hiding his face on her hair in embarrassment.

"You're so cute when you look shy" Dal-mi said before picking out the expensive paper and reading the said letter silently.

_Light of my life,_

_Because of you I finally get to live love-filled days._

_After spending a whole year sharing these wonderful days with you, I started to feel like this is not enough._

_Right now, I desire to live love-filled hours, minutes, and seconds by your side._

_Do you know that every day I wake up earlier than you for a reason? Even when I have to work in the afternoon, I always set my alarm before yours just so I get to watch you slowly waking up._

_There is nothing more precious and delightful in this world than watching the moment you realize I am by your side._

_Your incandescent smile always brightens my whole world in the three seconds it takes for the fog in your brain to leave space for the image of me._

_The image of us._

_Listening to your cute morning roar is definitely one of the most pleasant things to do. Your thunderous yawn wakes up the entire neighborhood and is definitely my favorite music in the whole wide world now._

_If only I was able to listen to this orchestra of sleep-induced sounds every morning._

_Dal-mi, I am thoroughly tired of getting heartbroken when I leave you home at ungodly hours every Sunday._

_Seeing you leave will forever make my heart ache and I can't die of sadness at such a young age. You see, the world is not ready for my absence at all._

_More than giving you a key, which I already did before our two months anniversary, I want to give you something else. And right now, as I watch your beautiful face reading this letter, I can only hope you will accept it wholeheartedly._

_Seo Dal-mi, I want to give you a ring, and much more as well._

_I want to give you my surname, which means little since I am an orphan, but that can also be the start of our own family._

_I want to give you a house with the world's biggest backyard and how many kids, dogs or cats you want to have._

_I want to write love letters to you until the last day of our lives, because I will only leave this Earth if it's by your side._

_I want to give you the entire Universe, just so you can shine as bright as the stars in our sky._

_You already have my heart and soul in your hands, and now I only ask you to keep treating it right._

_I only ask you to give the most important yes of my life, and I promise you will live love-filled days for the rest of your life._

_Hopefully, we will meet in others lives and I will get to keep my promise as well._

_Your words always meant the world to me._

_However, I'm asking you for the most simple ones, the ones who are able to make me the happiest man alive, the most privileged as well._

_Please. Would you be forever mine, Seo Dal-mi?_

_Hopefully your future husband,  
_ _Han Ji-pyeong_

When Dal-mi lowered the shaking hand holding the letter, the image of a kneeled Han Ji-pyeong holding a velvety box almost made her pass out in the middle of the office. 

Eyes shining with fresh tears and an astonishing love-driven expression painting his face with bright colors, Ji-pyeong opened the box. Inside, a stunning engagement ring stole the air out of Dal-mi's lungs. 

Despite its size, the ring held an extraordinary singleness. Made of rose diamonds intertwined as a cherry blossom branch, the jewelry piece was the perfect match for Dal-mi. 

Staring straight at her man's kind heart and caring eyes, Dal-mi felt like the luckiest person alive. Breathing his words in once again, she didn't waste another second before saying: 

"Yes, of course, I want to be your wife." She announced, making the man almost faint over the office floor before jumping over her in a loving embrace. 

Ji-pyeong kissed Dal-mi deeply, stealing any resemblance of balance from her in the process. He felt invincible, and it was all because of his now-bride.

Encircling her waist, he lifted Dal-mi up and did a silly circle around himself while hugging her. Suddenly, they were all about laughter and tears. 

Finally. Finally Ji-pyeong would get his happy ending. 

And in truth, this was just the beginning of their life together. 

"I love you so damn much I could suffocate you now." Dal-mi said, pressing his cheeks on her hands while love tears watered her eyes. 

"Please don't, this ring was really expensive and I would like to see you wearing it before I leave this Earth." Ji-pyeong requested, cleaning his tears before holding her face and kissing Dal-mi deeply again "Thank you so much for accepting me, I can't put to words how much I love you." He said honestly. 

Dal-mi took the velvety box and ended up putting the ring herself. Ji-pyeong would have his moment to shine, but she couldn't wait to see how the ring would look.

"How do I look?" She asked, hands moving around exaggeratedly

"Astonishing, amazing, perfect." Ji-pyeong said simply, the filter between his thoughts and words long gone now. 

"I'm glad you bought a small piece, I was so afraid you would buy something gigantic just to show off." Dal-mi retorted, putting her hand on his chest with a brilliant smile over her lips.

"Well, there is still time to trade it and you still haven't seen the one we will be using forever." Ji-pyeong explained cheekily, kissing her ring finger with love. "I actually designed this myself." He announced, trying not to shy away from her surprise 

"When did you do this?" Dal-mi asked eyebrows raised as she suspected his plans.

"If I tell you this, I might have to kill you and I really want to have you as a wife." Ji-pyeong said with a serious expression making Dal-mi laugh out loud. 

He couldn't say now that he drew the piece while watching her sleep peacefully on their first night together, the conversation over the bird box place and everything that came after serving as an inspiration. Dal-mi would have to wait to hear this during their wedding vows, and Ji-pyeong just couldn't wait to see her reaction. 

“I want to give you something else.” Ji-pyeong announced, kissing her nose before walking to where his coat was resting.

“There is more?” Dal-mi exclaimed, hands going to her chest dramatically as she adapted to her new ring and title. 

A bride. A soon-to-be-wife. Dal-mi couldn’t expect anything else for this life of hers. 

“I bought this five years ago before Haelmoni died and before leaving for Europe.” Ji-pyeong explained, hiding his hands on his back with a playful smile 

“Before me and Do-san had a relationship?” She asked, in shock with the new information.

Ji-pyeong never ceased to surprise her.

“Yeah, before this unfortunate event.” Ji-pyeong agreed, making a funny face before coming closer to her. “Back then I wanted, as I want now, to give you my heart, Seo Dal-mi.” He said, finally opening the black square box.

Inside stood a delicate gold necklace holding a moon pendant. It was an equally delicate and stunning piece, shining brightly in the office’s light. 

“I researched back then, and now I will never forget that your name signifies “beautiful moon.” Ji-pyeong said, going beside her to place the necklace in its designated spot. “Because I intend to give you the moon and the stars in our future, but also because I hope that you keep being this shining light in my life as you were back then, I want you to have this now.” He explained, closing the necklace and kissing her nape afterward. 

Staring at her reflection on the mirror standing over the wall, Dal-mi felt again like the most privileged and blessed woman ever to exist. With a million-watt smile on her face, she turned to the man of her life and tried to retribute his affection. 

"I'm yours, Han Ji-pyeong." Dal-mi said simply, the ringed hand lying comfortably on his chest as she looked at him in the eyes "Heart and soul."

"Now and forever?" He asked, hands cleaning the last tears from her face. 

"Now and forever" she said before kissing him deeply.

**xx**

Dal-mi felt marvelous in her wedding dress.

Looking at her image on the bride room’s gigantic mirror made her heart flutter for the billionth time in the evening of her marriage day. Dressed in a lengthy white gown with lace details embroidered on the corset and skirt, Dal-mi looked like a royal princess ready to walk down the lane. 

Finally, the day has come. 

After six months of tiresome preparations, buffet tasting, and intoxicating nights to choose the best bar, Dal-mi and Ji-pyeong consolidated the perfect wedding plan. Designed for intimate guests, especially friends and family, Dal-mi would finally be saying yes in a huge clearing surrounded by pine trees during the fall.

Having Sa-ha and In-jae as her bridesmaids wasn’t really a choice, but an inevitable decision she made right after accepting Ji-pyeong’s proposal. Both of them looked amazing in their fitted pastel rainbow colors dresses, turning the simple tones into an exhilarating set. 

“You look amazing, seriously” Sa-ha said, accepting the champagne flute In-jae had stolen from the kitchen on her way to the bride’s room. “And this might be the last time you will hear me saying something like this, so enjoy.” She completed, raising her flute on a toast for her best friend. 

“God, this dress is killing me.” In-jae sighed, positioning herself in front of Dal-mi in the mirror to fix the pastel violet dress, her accordion skirt fluttering as she moved. 

“Excuse me, please? I’m thoroughly enjoying the view.” Dal-mi ordered, sending her sister away with a hand movement. 

“Do you know what view I am enjoying?” In-jae asked, opening the curtain just enough to see the guest mingling downstairs. “Yong-san looks too good for his own safety in that grey suit.” 

“Yeah, right.” Sa-ha snorted, finishing her drink in one gulp. 

“Wait, what?” Dal-mi questioned, dumbfounded “Why do I feel like I’m still missing things here?” 

“Well yes. Your sister has taken a huge bite of our developer in the recent past.” Sa-ha explained maliciously 

“When did this happen?”

“It was right before So-min, actually. It was fun while it lasted, but now life is even better.” In-jae answered, letting the curtain go and drinking her champagne with a wicked smile.

“And it’s So-min okay with you working with him on a daily basis?” Dal-mi asked, feeling clueless and left out once again. 

“Yes, of course. She actually approves of my taste in men.” Her sister answered with indifference. “Not all of us have to end up with territorial puppies, you know?” In-jae pointed out, trying to annoy her sister once again.

“Thank God she has evolved now.” Sa-ha retorted, laughing and walking to her friend holding Dal-mi’s veil in hand. “How are you feeling?” She asked honestly, affection painting her irises with warm tones. 

“Feeling like I will explode into tiny fireworks any second now.” Dal-mi answered with a hand over her frantic heart, accepting Sa-ha cares as she positioned the long lace veil over her silky brown hair. 

“Glad to hear it, because it's time.” In-jae announced happily, gulping the rest of her drink before opening the doors that would take them to the patio. 

Breathing in and preparing to see her man down the aisle, Dal-mi took the first step to the rest of her life. 

**xx**

Ji-pyeong never felt so nervous in his whole life as when he heard the bridal march starting to play around the chapel. 

He was the man who negotiated billionaires contracts over the phone, the man who made his first million before the age of eighteen. And yet, famous and simple notes from the piano made him all jittery.

As if sensing Ji-pyeong's distress, Park Dong-Chun, his best man, flew to where he was standing in two seconds. Positioning himself in front of his boss, the man held him by the shoulders and said: 

"This is it. This is the moment you've been dreaming about and you already have everything." Dong-Chun explained with a serious face that made Ji-pyeong want to laugh, relaxing a little now that he heard supportive words. "You got the girl, the rings, her certain yes, and an amazing best man. Nothing could go wrong." 

"Since when are you this conceited person?" Ji-pyeong asked with laughter in his voice.

"Well, I've been working with you for quite a while now." Dong-Chun said, fixing Ji-pyeong's bow tie and going back to his spot right before the doors opened.

When his eyes zeroed in Dal-mi’s figure, Ji-pyeong felt like the gates of heaven were opening in front of him. 

She was astonishing, her beauty from an outer dimension Ji-pyeong felt privileged to be allowed to explore. Dressed in the secret wedding gown she kept him from seeing for six months, and using only the moon necklace he gave her as jewelry, Dal-mi was the image of a real-life goddess. 

A smile lightening her face, his future wife looked straight at his open heart. In-jae and Sa-ha came walking right behind her, holding the gorgeous veil in place so Dal-mi could walk smoothly. 

Together, they formed a glamorous trio, stealing everyone’s attention and breath. 

When Dal-mi and Ji-pyeong’s hands touched up in the aisle, it felt like everything else faded away, the sensation of their skins connecting being the only light in the whole world. They looked at each other fondly, their eyes carrying a universe of feelings. 

Ji-pyeong kissed her palm lovingly, his signature gesture to express love, before intertwining their fingers so the ceremony could start. Dal-mi caressed his hand with her thumb, finding a way to give him a secret love declaration despite the hundred pairs of eyes staring at them.

“We are here today to celebrate the fated love of two individuals made for each other.” The matchmaker started to say, his deep baritone voice reaching everyone’s heart at the chapel “As human beings, we seek for a true wholeheartedly feeling in our pears, walking through life in the search of meaningful connections that can turn our hardships into mere lessons.” 

“As love pursuers, many of us try and fail to find that one person who seems to be our soul’s pair in life and death.” He continued, bringing tears to everyone’s eyes by each phrase. “We fall apart and rise like the sun at every heartbreak, and even when we find our equals, fate’s hands find a way to slow our steps until we are ready to receive God’s blessing through the affection of our true love, our soulmate, that one person who still, as a full individual, seems to complete us in our absences and intemperances.” 

“He is good, huh?” Ji-pyeong said to Dal-mi’s ears, sniffing a little and making her wife unabashedly.

“Today, fate has decided that you, Seo Dal-mi and Han Ji-pyeong, are ready.” The matchmaker said, open arms pointing to the couple as if he was receiving them in his embrace. “Please, my dear lady, proceed to read your vows.” He pointed to Dal-mi with an honest smile. 

“Okay. I’ve prepared a little something for you, Ms. Han.” Dal-mi said, making everyone laugh while they wiped their tears away. 

Picking up the paper she had prepared from In-jae’s hand, Dal-mi cleared her throat before saying: 

“Sun of my sky.” She started, using the term of endearment she adopted to answer his love letters a few months ago “I once sent you a letter about how sailing off without a map led me into a wonderful journey where I got to see a beautiful rainbow crossing the sky after a horrific rain. As the most fair-minded human being walking this Earth, you said to me that if I took this as a lifestyle, I could die and drown and lose myself completely ” Dal-mi kept reading, making Ji-pyeong laughed as he remembered his words, also gathering laughs from the guests. 

“Years later I finally get to say that you were remarkably wrong, as I tend to prove you are sometimes” Dal-mi said, looking at him now with a full smile on her face, eyes watering by the seconds. “I told you already but let me say it again: I know now things I could only dream of back then, but I can affirm with certainty that you, Han Ji-pyeong, the boy with the kindest heart, warmest smile and most beautiful dimples ever to exist, is my map, my rainbow and my path in this life.” She affirmed, saying every word as she looked into his eyes. 

“As I’m writing this, I can only thank the Universe and whoever is in control of our hectic world to give me the chance to be your wife.” Dal-mi kept going after a brief pause “During my life, many choices I made took us apart, but as I give you my heart and accept yours in return, I can only be grateful for my mistakes, because they led me to you in the end.” Dal-mi kept reading, affectionate tears invading her eyes. 

“Today, and for the rest of our lives and the many others we will get to live together, I choose you, Han Ji-pyeong.” She said, folding the paper and reciting the last words as she held Ji-pyeong’s trembling hands. “Because I know love is about our daily choices, I can say that being your choice is the most exciting letter we will ever get to write together. Now and forever.” Dal-mi finished, the thunderous applause rising from the guests becoming background music to the earnest look she exchanged with her husband. 

“Do you need a glass of water?” Park Dong-Chung asked between tears, saying a little loud and making everyone laugh once again. 

“Do you?” Ji-pyeong answered, wiping his tears with the free hand as he laughed with the crowd. 

“Mister, proceed to read your vows now.” The mysterious matchmaker requested with laughter in his voice. 

Of course, Ji-pyeong took a letter out of his wedding attire.

He had a mischievous smile on his lips as he looked at Dal-mi before starting his vows. Even after one and a half year of reading his love letters, Dal-mi could never get used to the way he weaved emotions with words and ink. 

“Light of my life, I still can’t believe we are actually doing this.” Ji-pyeong said plainly, making Dal-mi snort and caress his hand affectionately. “Even after six months of the most special night of my life, the night you said yes to me, I can’t believe I get to have you by my side. Even after a whole year since you started to fill my days and my entire existence with your affection and care, I can’t believe I won my way to your brilliant heart.” He kept going, serious about his words and feelings. 

“When I proposed to you, during a cold night in your vacant office, I also revealed that I had designed the ring, and being curious as you are, you asked me when it happened. So now, let me tell you a little story of a boy with a kind heart, a boy who couldn’t sleep after his first night with the woman of his life.” Ji-pyeong revealed, causing a wave of pure shock to travel Dal-mi’s body, hands covering her mouth as she began to cry openly. “As you finally opened the door for me to enter in your life, I decided to use every last drop of my artistry to draw the perfect wedding ring for the perfect woman. Since that day, as I watched you sleeping peacefully in my stolen mentor shirt, I knew I had to have you forever.” 

“Loving you has never been a choice, but a natural reaction from a body made to adore you, to worship you entirely.” Ji-pyeong declared, looking at her as he said every word, dropping his heart on her feet all over again “Seo Dal-mi.” He said her name like it was a prayer because, for him, it really was. 

“I fell in love with you with every word, every line and drop of ink I spent trying to find the right words for you to see me, to see the broken boy I was and the rebuilt man I turned into all by myself years later.” 

Folding the letter and giving it blindly to Dong-Chun, Ji-pyeong held Dal-mi’s hand and kissed each palm as he ended his speech. 

“After remaking myself from the ashes, I can only hope I get to do it again as your man, your husband, and the future father of all the cute kids we will have. After losing everything and starting from scratch, I only wish we get to start a new chapter written on gold.” Ji-pyeong said sincerely “I chose you twenty years ago and I promise to keep choosing you in this and any other life that comes next until we get to turn ourselves into the shiniest constellation in the sky.” He finished, eyes wet with fresh love tears. 

After another round of applause and loud sniffs, Dong-Chan said out loud:

“Because we know no one is going against their holy union…” He announced with puffy eyes and laughter in his choked voice “Yeongsil, bring their rings please.” Dong-Chan requested, making everyone surprised, especially Ji-pyeong 

On the next second, one of the AI waitresses from Sandbox’s cafeteria rolled in, carrying Yeongsil and the rings in the place designed for the drinks to be in. Chul-san and Yong-san had planned this through to surprise the couple and make it all even more special. Sitting in the crowd, they controlled every movement of the machine through their computers. 

“Here is what I found on the internet: _The Lord of the Rings is an_ _epic_ _[1]_ _high fantasy_ _novel_ _[a]_ _by the English author and scholar_ _J. R. R. Tolkien_ _. Set in_ _Middle-earth_ _, the world at some distant time in the past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's book_ _The Hobbit_ _, but eventually developed into a much larger work._ ” Yeongsil said, reciting the words from a Wikipedia article and making everyone crack up, including a laughing Ji-pyeong who rolled his eyes out of annoyance at the same time. 

After both of them held their rings, and the crowd got silent again, the matchmaker began to say:

“Do you, Seo Dal-mi, accept Han Ji-pyeong as your rightful husband, promising to be faithful, to love and respect him in happiness and sadness…” 

“Yes, I do.” Dal-mi cut in, saying the most important words of her life as she placed the ring on Ji-pyeong’s fingers with a bright smile. 

“And do you, Han Ji-pyeong…” The matchmaker tried again.

“Yes, please. Sir, may I kiss her now, sir?” Ji-pyeong asked like a little child, making everyone laugh again as he hurriedly placed the ring on Dal-mi’s finger. 

“You may kiss her as you’re now, by the power invested in me and in our ancestors blessing this union, husband and wife.” The man finished, open arms coming together as the couple in front of him. 

And as they kissed wholeheartedly in front of a roaring crowd of friends and family, the AI assistant said in a volume so only Ji-pyeong could register: 

“You finally hit the home run.” Yeongsil revealed as the AI waitress took a turn around herself in a robotic celebration. 

Laughing openly as he held Dal-mi in his arms, flowers, and rice flying over their heads, Ji-pyeong agreed with Yeongsil for the second time in his life. 

Yes, with Dal-mi, he finally hit his matching point. Choosing her once again was his best move of all times, one he would make for the rest of his days on Earth. 

**xx**

After twenty years of shared history, and a decade of coexisting together, they found peace in each other at last. 

Ji-pyeong fulfilled his promises, and before their first wedding anniversary, they moved to a huge house with the biggest backyard around the suburban district in Seoul. In no time, Dal-mi's new favorite activity became running around with their rescued dogs all evening and cultivating the garden she started in Haelmoni’s name during the twin's pregnancy. 

Their loved-filled days turned into months and years. 

They would spend days enjoying the peace and silence of their company, wasting nights simply reading together or playing Go-Stop as a family while the sun rose outside their love nest. 

Other nights would be used to work together, one helping the other in compliance and rhythm that no one else in the world could have, while their kids peacefully slept in their bedroom. 

For years, Ji-pyeong accompanied Chungmyung Company’s expansions and Dal-mi growth as well, watching her blossom into a cosmos flower by his side each spring. 

And sometimes Ji-pyeong would fall asleep listening to Dal-mi’s lulling voice reading one of the letters she never sent, but that now meant the world to him. At night, while he held their daughters and listened to Dal-mi reading for him, he felt like life had chosen to give him a happy ending after all.

Hearing Dal-mi whisper love words in his ear while he played with her moon necklace, knowing how she thought about him during those four years, made love be written with the symbols of her name. 

And in no time, love became the image of one another. The image of them. 

Finally, together. 

**_The end_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Alexa play Day & Night by Jung Seung Hwan
> 
> To my amazing readers and jidal warriors, 
> 
> Well, guys, this was a long journey. 
> 
> Let me start this by saying thank you, for every comment, every follow, every tweet, retweet, and piece of love you sent me during this story's existence. I said this before, but I feel like this is the time to get cheesy: this is my first published fanfic, hopefully, the first of many yet to come, and I wouldn't have the courage to update every chapter if it wasn't for you guys and support. 
> 
> I want to send a special thanks to Jude, my incredible and outstanding beta reader for this story, and Mali, the most supportive friend I could ask to find in this adventure of sorts. I won't be listing everyone's name in this because I don't want to forget anyone behind, but a huge-ass thank you to every reader over #ceciverse, especially to Ana and Shar that came up with this amazing hashtag. 
> 
> Saying goodbye to each and every one of you suck, so I hope I get to keep yall over Twitter. Saying goodbye to Jidal suck the most, but I feel like they can go in peace now that I gave them a proper ending (fck you phr your tasteless biatch). 
> 
> Well, I don't know what the future holds for my next stories, but writing Jidal as parents is for sure appealing. 
> 
> As always, hit me up over stan Twitter (@chancekai) so we can mourn pofaf ending together. 
> 
> I set this goal to reach 1K moots over there so I can release bonus chapters of Dal-mi letters, do you guys think we can do this? I really want to write these letters, seriously. Share this story with your friends and family over Twitter and let's do it! 
> 
> Forever you guys writernim,  
> Ceci
> 
> ps: sa-ha got the bouquet on their wedding :)


	11. bonus chapter: Christmas lights shine bright when I’m with you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when Ji-pyeong decides to organize their first Christmas meal as husband and wife. 
> 
> Or the one where we have a well-deserved Christmas Jidal for the shiniest season of the year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! gawd, i miss writing for yall so much it hurts my poor heart, seriously. i had a blast writing pofaf and im going thru an abstinence crisis now soooooo: HERE IS A LITTLE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL FOR ALL MY MOOTS AND DEAR READERS
> 
> i hope you guys enjoy it, im missing han jipyeong too much lmao

**xx**

Han Ji-pyeong was this close to killing their Christmas dinner.

Holding the knife up high and staring the Korean beef dead in the eye, he looked like a serial killer from the movies. Who would've thought that making Japchae and Galbijjim would be this hard? 

This was too important for him to mess up. It would be his first Christmas with Dal-mi since they married. 

Last year, she had cooked and prepared everything on their first Holiday together, during the period they were still dating. Now, Jipyeong felt this urge to retribute and give her a perfect December 25th. 

At the beginning of the month, Ji-pyeong had surprised his now-wife buying a roof-size Christmas tree, one who occupied his living room like a shiny obelisk now. Decorating the tree with everything red and gold was more challenging than running a company. Still, the result transformed their new and spacious house into a warming space. 

Dal-mi and Ji-pyeong spent the weekend developing homemade decorations in multiple colors to spread around the house, turning their cozy residence into something worthy of a DIY competition. Ji-pyeong could still find glitter in his skin and clothes sometimes, having contaminated the entire house with the tricky little grains. 

Outside their kitchen, the enormous backyard was covered in snow. Everything looked like a puffy white blanket as if the clouds had fallen down. 

Ji-pyeong stopped to watch their fool rescued dogs, Dooly and Mongsil, trying to catch snowflakes in the air. Gildong, the ginger orphan cat Dal-mi brought home after work, stared at them like scientists studying their subjects. With his tail moving side to side slowly, he seemed to be having the time of his life seeing inferior mortals in their habitat.

Sometimes, Ji-pyeong would understand why Dal-mi kept saying that he and the cat were one and the same. 

As if conjured by his thoughts, the electric door on their house biped, announcing that Dal-mi was entering home. Dropping the knives on the counter, Ji-pyeong walked to the entrance to greet his wife. 

Even after eight hours of merciless work on Christmas Eve, Dal-mi looked stunning. Dressed in a dark blue suit, hair fashioned in the signature ponytail and a body posture betraying tiredness, Ji-pyeong's wife was a balm to his soul and heart. 

"Hi, love." He greeted, winning the distance between them in large steps and kissing her forehead while she dropped the bag over the grey sofa. 

"Hi, you." She answered back, holding the hand he positioned on her face in a sign of affection. "Please tell me we're not eating take out on Christmas." Dal-mi pleaded, eyes traveling rapidly to the tragedy in her kitchen. 

"Well, now that you're here to save us all..." Ji-pyeong began to say, a mischievous smile on his face.

"God, noooo." Dal-mi cried out, resting her forehead on Ji-pyeong's cozy shoulder while the man freed her hair from the tight ponytail. 

Coming home to him felt like Christmas morning every damn day. When his fingers combed through Dal-mi's messy hair, relaxing her entire being after hours of heavy work, and his arms encircled her waist lovingly, Dal-mi thought she was in heaven. 

In reality, she was home. Their wonderful smug residence, built on love and homemade decorations, raised upon a regular care Ji-pyeong made sure to keep doing just to have their place as a safe spot in the world. 

"Someone earned a white roses bubbly bath." Ji-pyeong whispered in her ear, leaving a path of toe-curling kisses on Dal-mi's neck 

"You're perfect." She said in a low tone, neck turned to him in complete willingness now. 

"I am, right?" He asked, laughing, kissing the sensitive spot behind her ear before hugging Dal-mi lovingly from behind. "You should enjoy a good bath time while I open our favorite wine and start with the easy part of this mess." 

"Yes, sir." Dal-mi complied, hands touching the forearms encircling her waist. "I love you." She said out of the blue, staring at their decorated house with a heart full of affection.

"I love you even more, my dearest." Ji-pyeong answered without hesitation, kissing her soft lips before she went away to rest a little.

**xx**

They worked side to side through the evening, laughing the entire time while trying to translate Haelmoni’s secret recipe books. 

Ji-pyeong finally found something he wasn't good at. Apparently, cooking was his weakness in this life. Stealing kisses and filling empty glasses with red wine was a newfound talent, though, one he thoroughly enjoyed doing. 

After eating a mountain of delicious food and preparing special tests for their now snoring pets, Dal-mi and Ji-pyeong decided to rest on the sofa before going to bed. Laying down with Dal-mi's head on his chest and her fingers intertwined with his, Ji-pyeong felt truly blessed once again. 

Ever since fate led them to a future together, Ji-pyeong started to believe more in life. And he was entirely grateful for sharing one with Dal-mi.

"I have a gift for you" Dal-mi said lovingly after Ji-pyeong kissed her palm while they enjoyed the silence together. 

"Another one?" He asked, eyes shining bright when Ji-pyeong looked at the brand new watch she gave him this year. 

"Yes, and this is an extraordinary one." Dal-mi explained, going to her purse and picking up an envelope for him to see. 

Looking at her sideways, Ji-pyeong waited for Dal-mi to accommodate herself on his side again before opening the envelope. Curious as always, he didn't wait a second before taking out a printed photo from it. 

It was a portrait they had made months ago. Dal-mi had said she needed a picture of them to test a new IA image recognition system for Chungmyung Company. It made more sense now that he saw what it was. 

Ji-pyeong and Dal-mi posed with their pets over the giant Christmas tree standing proudly in the living room in the said picture. This was taken right after they finished the house decor, the glitter spread over their clothes and skin being a sign of that. 

Despite the mess around the frame, with all types of glue, paper, and a bunch of scissors lying on the floor, they looked happy. 

Like a family. 

Dal-mi and Ji-pyeong's bright smile painted the frame with shiny colors, and they indeed looked like a family. Their first family portrait together in their house. 

Even their pets seemed to be smiling. The grumpy ginger cat behaved on the image, standing on Dal-mi's lap like a proud king, while the dogs tried to compete for space on Ji-pyeong's side and legs. 

Framed in beige structure, the picture was ready to be hanged on their wall, just above the bricky fireplace in the living room. This was the final piece to make their house a home, and Ji-pyeong couldn't ask for a better Christmas gift.

"This is perfect. Thank you so much." He said honestly, kissing his wife lovingly while trying to control the emotional tears glassing his eyes. 

"I want you to always remember you have a family now, in me. In us" Dal-mi explained, hands holding his face with love and care, "And I really think you should look inside the envelope now." She whispered, kissing his tears away. 

Ji-pyeong sniffed like a kid, laughing from his emotional state while grabbing the envelope. Turning it upside down to get every hidden thing out, he was surprised by a pamphlet finding a place on his lap. 

It was an informative pamphlet for first-time parents, couples wanting to start this journey properly together. Ji-pyeong's brain didn't precisely process the message Dal-mi was trying to send him, so he caught himself reading the cover repeatedly to understand. 

"Wait, what?" He asked, bedazzled and dumbfounded by what this could mean. 

"I want us to start thinking about expanding our little gang." Dal-mi explained, holding his hand between hers and kissing each finger with hope shining in her eyes. "Hopefully, we will need to update this picture very soon." 

"Dal-mi, are you serious?" He asked, heart beating frantically over this decision 

"Yes, I am." She answered, laughing out loud when Ji-pyeong positioned her over his lap with a sudden strength. "I already talked to my mom, Injae, and Sa-ha. By the way, they're having a blast about this decision. However, I need to know what you want before talking to my doctor." 

"What I want? God, woman." Ji-pyeong exclaimed, hands on her waist and a smile lighting up his entire face. "I want an entire soccer team breaking hell in our backyard, a troop of little CEOs just like you making me sweat and work overtime at home." He explained happily, already thinking far on the future.

"Who said we will have girls?" Dal-mi asked jokingly. 

"You already have me. There's no need for another man fighting for your attention in this house. Two dogs are enough." Ji-pyeong said, using his investor tone to make his point.

"You're so stupid." She laughed out loud, throwing her head back and earning pecks on her neck and chin as an answer, "So you're into it? Should we start this adventure together, Mr. Han?" Dal-mi asked, just to hear him saying, arms embracing his neck already. 

"Please, Ms. Seo." Ji-pyeong basically begged.

"I want to live every damn adventure, walk every lengthy path, and start anything new with you for the rest of this life and others." He confessed, kissing her profoundly right after and stealing all air from Dal-mi's system in a scorching kiss. 

And just like that, on a snowy Christmas night in a cozy decorated house, they decided to write a new chapter on their love-letters handwritten book. 

Apparently, Ji-pyeong's happy ending was just the beginning of a love-filled life. 

_To be continued..._

**xx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jidal as parents fanfic???? coming soon???? 
> 
> yes guys, i will never get over them so im trying (and failing) to write them out of my system. 
> 
> keep up with me on stan twt (@chancekai) for more pieces of information and have an amazing Christmas, seriously, meeting you guys made my December much better and im truly grateful. love you all <3


	12. bonus chapter: the letters Dal-mi never got to send

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, folks over ceciverse. Here I am again with a little meal to those who have missed my writing, and to me because I’ve missed writing A LOT. 
> 
> This bonus chapter comes to fulfill a promise I made. Because I’ve reached 1K moots over my stan twt acc, today I’m bringing the letters Dal-mi never sent to Ji-pyeong, with lots of longing and emotional moments. 
> 
> These are the letters Dal-mi wrote to Ji-pyeong when he was away, which was described on pofaf’s chapter three. It’s important to have this in mind, not only to understand the context of each letter, but to learn more about how things developed to Dal-mi afterwards. 
> 
> I hope you have a nice reading, because I thoroughly enjoyed writing this, and I’ll see you with a surprise at the ending notes.

**xx**

_Mr Han,_

_I've recently started to see you everywhere as if my sleepless night wondering why you left isn't enough for my injured heart._

_As I watch the cherry blossom petals falling down like nature's beautiful tears, I can only wonder why I am always left behind._

_It happened with my father. It happened with Haelmoni._

_And with you._

_Was I this horrible person that didn't deserve a goodbye? Or even a handful of seconds to share with you before losing everything?_

_You see, I've been sailing off without a map ever since my grandmother died, not by option, but because feeling lost is all I have since life took away any guiding light from me._

_Unfortunately, there's no shining rainbow brightening the road as I go, no astonishing scenario to make it better. Only an unyielding rain, washing away my steps and, slowly, my existence as well._

_Mr. Han, I wonder if you can bring the rainbow back. I'm in desperate need of a colourful night in my pained days._

_I wonder if you can come back, at least to share this all-consuming feeling with me._

_In the end, there's only so much a defective girl can take._

_Between tears and grief,  
_ _Seo Dal-mi_

**xx**

_Han Ji-pyeong,_

_Do you ever wonder why we don't stop to look up to the sky? To simply admire how Earth is moving at its own rhythm, making time pass at a different pace for everyone?_

_Ever since hell broke on my life, as a way to explain how things have been six months after Haelmoni's passing, I've been enjoying my solitude with the lonely clouds wandering around._

_I, too, feel like I'm only wandering through every day._

_This might be my tenth letter to you, and things don't seem to be getting better at all for me. In some parts, I'm actually glad you won't read my lame words about how life is going._

_Sometimes I wonder how things would have been if you were here._

_Would we talk about our pain and move on together? Would it be easier to share my grief with someone who understands abandonment as I do?_

_Right now, I understand why you ran away. At least a little._

_To be honest, there's nothing I'd like more than escaping my own life. Every day seems like an endless gathering of painful seconds, making me remind of Haelmoni and the moments we share._

_The moments we'll never get to share as well._

_If I was to open my heart, as I keep doing in these lines, it makes me remind of you as well._

_What we could have been if only life had planned a different path for us both._

_Do you feel this agony consuming your existence slowly too, or am I truly alone now?_

_To be honest, I can only hope you're doing well. One of us deserves it, and I know it's not me._

_Between wasted days and sleepless nights,  
_ _Seo Dal-mi_

**xx**

_Dear Ji-pyeong,_

_Today is your birthday and despite being unable to see you personally with a homemade meal as a gift, I happen to find you everywhere else now._

_It took me a while to be okay with the fact you went away to Europe because of work, even with Ms. Yoon efforts to defend you. I guess in parts I'm still mad you ran away and left everything behind, leaving me to my own luck as well._

_However, there's something fascinating about seeing you smiling on the television, during an interview with some hotshot reporter or giving a speech for receiving an important award. Maybe it's your magnetic charisma or the charming dimples turning your face into a symphony of happy feelings._

_Maybe is realizing there's some pain hidden behind your warm eyes. As if I can breathe freely by knowing I'm not alone in this agonizing journey to move on from the latest events._

_Tell me, was I really blind to your dazzling existence?_

_Was I such a terrible person that I didn't deserve a goodbye or you just had to run away because of my cursed actions?_

_Recently, I started to see things from a very different perspective. One that showed me how much I lost myself in recent years, abandoning crucial parts of who I am as a person, as a woman._

_You see, running a company isn't as glamorous as they sold to us during the Hackathon. Actually, there are a lot of closed doors and ugly crying in the bathroom, the constant fights with everyone around me being an unwanted bonus._

_Whenever things get hard, I try to close myself in my mental castle and think of what you would say. It might sound ridiculous now, considering how our team thoroughly ignored your advice in the past, but imagining you by my side, as a guide, as a friend and a person, makes everything better._

_Even if I open my eyes to empty rooms and vacant chairs where you should be._

_Where I wish you were._

_On your birthday, I wish I could be selfish and make you come back home. There are so many questions I'd like to make, so many needed conversations I keep scripting in my head._

_For some ungodly reason, I can't exactly explain, I keep getting uncomfortable when I see your pictures with dazzling European women over the internet. Don't get me wrong, browsing your name is not my new hobby, but I just happen to have a lot of free time with my phone close to me._

_Was this how you felt when you saw me with Do-san? This acid feeling in your stomach, a burning heat spreading through your brain and chest?_

_As I said before, my perspective over things changed a lot._

_Most times, I'm afraid these changes will make me do the one thing I said it would never happen: regretting my choices._

_To be honest, I sometimes wish you'd regret leaving, but I know this is mostly my fault._

_Despite our geographic distance, we're blessed to be under the same sky._

_So today, I hope you have a great birthday. I hope you can look up at the sky during an amazing party made by your new friends and think of home._

_I hope you think of me, of us, as well._

_Between affectionate emotions and ugly jealousy,  
_ _Dal-mi_

**xx**

_My dearest Ji-pyeong,_

_Writing while being drunk is truly a challenge. One I had to go through in order to get these infuriating emotions from my chest._

_It has been three and a half years, almost four if time keeps working against me. Almost four years since you fled like a chicken and left me alone with more conflicts a girl could ever solve._

_Almost four years without a single message from your side of the planet. Don't they have phones in Europe? Do you guys communicate through fire signs or something?_

_You know, all of this, is utterly stupid._

_I feel like a kid surviving the utmost elongated punishment, and it's actually driving me crazy._

_Breaking up with Do-san was a needed action since our feelings turned into an ugly mess of emotional dependency and poor contentment. However, I wasn't ready for finding another problem right after getting rid of one._

_You see, my dear Ji-pyeong, I've been feeling haunted by your absence. Watching you over television and seeing your face in every damn magazine in the street turned into a menace to my mental health. To my hormones, as well._

_During drunken nights like this one, after too many soju bottles and childhood letters I read all over again, it's really hard not to miss you._

_I can't seem to remember how your voice sounded normally, my mind is now fogged by your professional tones in interviews and this sucks. I can't even create dialogues in my head because the memories of you are turning into dust, day by day._

_Only the small details, like your magnificent perfume and the gestures you always had around me, are still here._

_And I'm forever afraid to forget them as well._

_Is this my brain trying to make me cope with how much I long to see you? Like a defense mechanism to deal with your ongoing rejection and how I failed you in the past?_

_Nowadays, I'm not trying to fight the fact that I was truly a devil with your feelings, because I was. Every day since this realization knocked me out on my feet are wasted on regrets and 'what-ifs', with scenarios I keep creating to process the mess my emotions became._

_So if you're trying to make me taste my own poison, just know I've drowned in it, and mixed with alcohol in the process._

_Are you satisfied? You should be._

_And you should get home as well._

_I'm tired of waiting for you. I'm exhausted because I can't get a night of sleep without dreaming about you, as if my mind is turning the stuff I created into nightmares to torment every second I breathe in this world._

_I keep imagining how our encounter will happen, but at this point, I'm accepting any damn thing as long as it means we will share the same space for once._

_God, Ji-pyeong. There's so much I want to tell you._

_So yes, come home._

_Please._

_Between drunken hiccups and distressing thoughts,  
_ _Your Dal-mi_

**xx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was amazing to write, and I'm actually super proud of the small thing I ended up creating.
> 
> Here is the good news: the description and plot for my jidal enemies to lovers au is ready, and chapter one is being shaped as you read these words. I'm aiming to start publishing it by February because I don't work with schedules and planning as you guys know very well.
> 
> I'm excited and happy to keep writing stories to you guys. Once again, thanks for reading it and supporting me through my crazy ideas.
> 
> As always, hit me up on stan twt (@chancekai) and over the comment section as well. Don't forget to use #ceciverse so I can see yall's reaction and stuff.


End file.
